One in 17 Dementia Cases Could Be Prevented, Study Points to One Vaccine
Summary
A large study found that older adults who received the Shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles were less likely to develop dementia over four years compared to those who did not get the vaccine. The study suggests that about one in 17 dementia cases might be prevented by this vaccination, but further research is needed to confirm a direct cause.Key Facts
- The study included 509,926 adults aged 66 and older living in skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. from 2017 to 2022.
- Only 8,843 of these adults received the Shingrix shingles vaccine.
- Vaccinated individuals were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than unvaccinated ones.
- Among vaccinated participants, 18.8% developed dementia, compared to 24.6% in the unvaccinated group.
- Researchers estimated one dementia case could be prevented for every 17 people vaccinated.
- The study used Medicare claims and health records and applied a method to make the study similar to a clinical trial.
- The findings support earlier studies on an older shingles vaccine but do not prove the vaccine prevents dementia.
- Researchers call for more studies, including clinical trials, to better understand the vaccine’s effect on dementia risk.
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