Shingles vaccine proves unexpected ally in fight against dementia
Picture this: a vaccine that is actually meant to protect you from a painful skin disease also turns out to protect your brain. Sounds almost too good to be true, right? Yet that is exactly what new research from Stanford University now suggests. The shingles vaccine - which many people know mainly as protection against itching and skin rashes - also seems to significantly reduce the risk of dementia. And that is hopeful news.
20% less risk of dementia after vaccination
Researchers analysed the medical records of as many as 280,000 people from Wales. Thanks to a unique situation, where people born before 1 September 1933 were not entitled to the vaccine and people after that date were, they were able to properly compare the effects of the shingles vaccine. The results? People who had received the vaccine were found to be 20 per cent less likely to develop dementia within seven years.
"For the first time, we can say with certainty that the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of dementia," researcher Paul Geldsetzer told The Guardian. Julia Dudley of Alzheimer's Research UK also calls the results striking: "Previous studies never showed such a strong link."
What is shingles again?
Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox. After you have had chickenpox as a child, the virus remains dormant in your body. Later in life, it can become active again, often causing a painful rash. The vaccine was made available in 2013, but is not (yet) part of the National Vaccination Programme in the Netherlands. However, people can arrange it through their GP or a vaccination agency.
Why this matters
In the Netherlands, according to Alzheimer's Netherlands, one in five people eventually experience dementia. Among women, the figure is one in three. It is not only a profound disease for patients and their loved ones, but also the number one cause of death in our country. In 2023, more than 17,000 people died as a result of dementia. And the social costs are huge: in 2019, it was about 10 billion euros - that is ten per cent of all healthcare costs.
With an ageing population in full swing, the government expects these costs to reach over €15 billion by 2040. So any discovery that helps prevent or delay the disease is of great value.
One small prick, one big impact?
Whether the shingles vaccine also protects against dementia in the longer term remains to be investigated further. But the initial findings offer hope - and perhaps even an unexpected extra benefit for those who get vaccinated. So sometimes protection comes in a small prick with a surprisingly large effect.
Source:
Now.co.uk
