Yan Leyfman, Co-founder and executive director of MedNews Week, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New study alert! Herpes zoster (shingles) has been linked to a higher risk of dementia – but there’s good news.
In a study of over 4.5 million people (median age 62, 51% women), full vaccination with the recombinant zoster vaccine was associated with a 32% lower risk of dementia compared to those who were unvaccinated.
- 2 doses – 32% reduced risk (HR 0.68)
- 1 dose – 11% reduced risk (HR 0.89)
- Previous shingles infection – higher risk (HR 1.47)
- Antivirals helped lower the risk too (HR 0.42)
Takeaway: The shingles vaccine may do more than just prevent zoster – it could help protect the brain, too.”
“Recombinant zoster vaccine and the risk of dementia”
Authors: Emily Tang, Isabel Ray, Benjamin F. Arnold, Nisha R. Acharya
