A study published in Nature magazine analysed the medical records of elderly Welsh men and women and discovered that those who had been vaccinated against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia in the following seven years. This effect was greater in women. The findings support the theory that viruses that affect the nervous system can increase the risk of dementia.
Alberto Ascherio - herpes zoster EN
Alberto Ascherio
Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard University
This is an excellent quality study that offers evidence that the herpes zoster vaccine reduces the risk of dementia, particularly in women. These are important findings that support the potential role of viral infections in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Without a doubt, the results of this study support the need to invest more in research into the potential of infectious agents as causes of neurodegenerative diseases.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
Geldsetzer et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
