A recent study from Brown University indicates a potential link between the shingles vaccine and a reduced risk of dementia in older adults. The research, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed the health records of over 509,000 U.S. adults aged 66 and older who were admitted to skilled nursing facilities.
According to the findings, individuals who received at least one dose of the recombinant shingles vaccine, known commercially as Shingrix, showed a 24% relative reduction in dementia diagnoses over a four-year period when compared to those who did not receive the vaccine. However, the study authors and independent experts emphasize that this data demonstrates an association and does not prove that the vaccine directly prevents or treats dementia.
Dr. Ajeet Sodhi, a neurologist not involved in the study, noted that these findings align with a growing body of scientific literature suggesting a connection between shingles vaccination and slower cognitive decline. "This is maybe the third or fourth study, and they all came to the same conclusion," Sodhi told Fox News Digital. "It seems that by giving patients the shingles vaccine called Shingrix, in the next couple of years, we see a clinically significant decline in the development of dementia."
Researchers have proposed several potential explanations for this observed association. One theory suggests that by preventing shingles, the vaccine may also help avoid complications from the virus, which has been linked to vascular events such as stroke. Strokes are a known contributor to vascular dementia. Sodhi also pointed to recent studies indicating that the shingles vaccine may offer broader cardiovascular benefits, including a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
Despite the suggestive findings, the shingles vaccine is not currently classified as a treatment for cognitive decline. "It's not at this time considered a treatment," Sodhi stated. "This association is ... very, very suggestive, but we can't say one-to-one it proves that this treats dementia."
The primary purpose of the Shingrix vaccine, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is to prevent shingles and its potential complications. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After recovery from chickenpox, the virus can lie dormant and reactivate later in life as a painful rash. Complications can include post-herpetic neuralgia, a persistent and debilitating nerve pain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the two-dose Shingrix series for adults aged 50 and older, and for adults 19 and older who are or will be immunocompromised. The vaccine is FDA-approved for preventing shingles and related issues, not for preventing or treating dementia.
The study received funding from GSK, the manufacturer of Shingrix. The study authors confirmed that GSK had no involvement in the study's design, analysis, or publication.
For individuals concerned about memory loss or with a family history of cognitive decline, experts advise seeking early medical evaluation. "The common theme in all of this is the sooner you seek evaluation, the better it is for the treatment," Sodhi recommended. "The treatment is more likely to work the earlier you are in the onset of the disease."