Shingles Vaccine Tied To Decreased Dementia Risk, Study Finds

The New York Times (4/2, Belluck) reports a study published in Nature “found that people who received the shingles vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia in the seven years afterward than those who were not vaccinated.” Compared to prior studies suggesting that shingles vaccinations might reduce dementia risk, this study was able to rule out “other dementia-protective characteristics, like healthier lifestyles, better diets or more years of education.” Overall, the results “provide some of the strongest evidence yet that some viral infections can have effects on brain function years later and that preventing them can help stave off cognitive decline.” The AP (4/2, Neergaard) reports the study “tracked people in Wales who were around 80 when receiving the world’s first-generation shingles vaccine over a decade ago.” NBC News (4/2, Carroll) reports that the “most important take-home message” from the study “is that getting vaccinated might lower the risk for dementia.” It is also possible “that the Food and Drug Administration could review research linking shingles vaccines to a lower risk of dementia and allow the drug company to add that indication to the label,” experts said.