{"id":21766,"date":"2025-04-03T15:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=21766"},"modified":"2025-04-03T15:00:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:00:20","slug":"shingles-vaccine-may-lower-dementia-risk-by-20-new-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/shingles-vaccine-may-lower-dementia-risk-by-20-new-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Shingles Vaccine May Lower Dementia Risk by 20%"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A Stanford Medicine study of Welsh older adults suggests that the shingles vaccine may lower the risk of dementia by 20%. The research offers promising evidence for a new preventive approach in dementia care.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A recent study led by Stanford Medicine has uncovered compelling evidence that receiving the shingles vaccine can significantly lower the risk of developing dementia. Analyzing the health records of older adults in Wales, researchers found that those who were vaccinated against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years compared to those who were not vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-08800-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Nature, support a burgeoning theory that viruses affecting the nervous system may elevate dementia risk. If further confirmed, this research suggests that a simple preventive intervention could be within reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Shingles and Dementia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shingles, caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (the same virus responsible for chicken pox), leads to a painful rash. This virus remains dormant in nerve cells after an initial chicken pox infection and can reactivate later in life, particularly in those with weakened immune systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dementia, which affects over 55 million people worldwide, has traditionally been linked to the buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain, especially in Alzheimer\u2019s disease cases. Despite extensive research, breakthroughs in dementia prevention have been elusive, driving scientists to investigate other potential causes, including viral infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Unique Public Health Experiment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senior author Pascal Geldsetzer, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford, recognized an unusual opportunity created by the shingles vaccine rollout in Wales. The Welsh vaccine policy beginning September 1, 2013, created an almost random division where specific age groups were eligible for the vaccine, allowing for a natural experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;All these associational studies suffer from the basic problem that people who get vaccinated have different health behaviors than those who don\u2019t,&#8221; Geldsetzer said in a news release. &#8220;In general, they\u2019re seen as not being solid enough evidence to make any recommendations on.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By comparing those who just met the age eligibility to those who narrowly missed it, the researchers could minimize health behavior differences between the groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat makes the study so powerful is that it\u2019s essentially like a randomized trial with a control group \u2014 those a little bit too old to be eligible for the vaccine \u2014 and an intervention group \u2014 those just young enough to be eligible,\u201d Geldsetzer added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impressive Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Evaluating the health records of over 280,000 adults aged 71 to 88, the study found that those vaccinated were 37% less likely to develop shingles and 20% less likely to develop dementia. The distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups was stark, with almost identical demographics and health profiles, further strengthening the study&#8217;s credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a really striking finding,\u201d added Geldsetzer. \u201cThis huge protective signal was there, any which way you looked at the data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impact on Women<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interestingly, the protective effect of the vaccine was more pronounced in women, potentially due to differences in immune response or dementia progression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, there is a potential that the newer shingles vaccine, which uses viral proteins, might be even more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Toward Future Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Geldsetzer hopes these findings will ignite additional research funding. Successful replication of these results in countries like England, Australia, New Zealand and Canada indicate a strong, consistent trend, yet the ultimate aim is to confirm these findings through a large-scale, randomized controlled trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe just keep seeing this strong protective signal for dementia in dataset after dataset,\u201d he added, expressing optimism for future breakthroughs in treatment and prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:11px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/news\/all-news\/2025\/03\/shingles-vaccination-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Stanford Medicine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study led by Stanford Medicine has uncovered compelling evidence that receiving the shingles vaccine can significantly lower the risk of developing dementia. Analyzing the health records of older adults in Wales, researchers found that those who were vaccinated against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years compared [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[259],"class_list":["post-21766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-stanford-medicine"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A recent study led by Stanford Medicine has uncovered compelling evidence that receiving the shingles vaccine can significantly lower the risk of developing dementia. Analyzing the health records of older adults in Wales, researchers found that those who were vaccinated against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years compared&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21766"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21802,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21766\/revisions\/21802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}