Shingles vaccine linked to 24% lower dementia risk
Researchers found 18.8% of vaccinated patients developed dementia, compared with 24.6% of unvaccinated peers, over four years.
- Researchers led by Kaley Hayes at Brown University found that nursing-facility residents receiving Shingrix had a 24% lower risk of dementia over four years, according to a study published yesterday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
- Using Medicare claims and records, researchers analyzed 509,926 people across more than 5,500 skilled nursing facilities between 2017 and 2022. Target trial emulation compared 8,843 residents who received at least one Shingrix dose against unvaccinated participants.
- After four years, dementia developed in 18.8% of vaccinated participants versus 24.6% of those unvaccinated. "This translates to about one in 17 dementia cases potentially being prevented," Hayes said.
- The findings align with earlier research suggesting shingles vaccines offer neuroprotective benefits beyond preventing shingles. Hayes noted the results fit into a larger puzzle showing vaccines support both physical and cognitive health.
- Researchers cannot definitively confirm Shingrix caused the lower dementia risk because vaccinated participants were younger and healthier. Hayes urged clinical trials to establish causation, and the study received funding from GlaxoSmithKline, which had no control over publication.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Shingles vaccine linked to 24% lower dementia risk in major US study
The Shingrix shingles vaccine is associated with a 24 per cent reduction in dementia risk among older adults, providing further evidence that immunisation may serve as a shield for the brain, according to a new study from Brown University.Research published yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined more than half a million individuals residing in skilled nursing facilities across the United States.Scientists saw that over a four-year…
Recombinant shingles vaccination and the risk of cardiovascular events
The recombinant herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine may reduce risks of cardiovascular disease. However, existing studies have compared vaccine recipients with non-recipients and, thus, are susceptible to confounding. To mitigate these biases, we conducted a natural experiment created by the rapid transition from the live attenuated to the recombinant shingles vaccine in the United States. We compared incidences of a composite cardiovascular endpoint (ischemic heart disease, heart failure or ischemic stroke) among adults aged ≥60 years vaccinated immediately before versus immediately after this transition. The recombinant vaccine was associated with a 9% decrease in cardiovascular burden over 7 years (restricted mean time lost (RMTL) ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88−0.95). The association attenuated over time and was significant for ischemic heart disease (10% decrease in burden; RMTL ratio = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.87−0.94) and heart failure (12% decrease in burden; RMTL ratio = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83−0.93) in both sexes and ischemic stroke in males (12% decrease; RMTL ratio = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78−0.98). An association was also seen for atrial fibrillation (7% decrease in burden; RMTL = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88−0.98) but not other cardiac, peripheral and cerebrovascular outcomes. Results were consistent in secondary analyses. These results justify clinical trials and mechanistic studies to investigate potential cardioprotective effects of shingles vaccines. A natural experiment comparing recipients of the live attenuated versus recombinant herpes zoster vaccines found that the recombinant vaccine was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events across 7 years of follow-up.
Since long ago, studies have pointed out that the vaccine Shingrix could also prevent further suffering. Researchers have now found comparatively valid indications.
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