Recently approved shingles vaccine could help delay dementia, scientists say

Researchers from the University of Oxford have raised hopes for delaying dementia after finding that a recently approved shingles vaccine is linked to a substantial reduction in dementia diagnoses in the six years following the shot, as reported by the Guardian.

Based on US medical records, this discovery suggests that, in addition to preventing shingles—a painful and sometimes serious condition in elderly people—the vaccine may also delay the onset of dementia, the leading cause of death in the UK.

The Oxford team analyzed health records of over 200,000 US citizens vaccinated for shingles, about half of whom received the new vaccine. Over the next six years, the risk of dementia was 17% lower in those who received Shingrix compared to those who received Zostavax.

Globally, medical reports indicate that there are more than 55 million people are living with dementia, including over 900,000 in the UK alone. One in three people will develop the condition in their lifetime, and while drugs that appear to slow the disease have recently been approved, there is no cure.