Getting a vaccine to prevent a painful case of shingles might also be good for your brain.
Two new studies, spearheaded by the journal Nature Medicine and the pharmaceutical company GSK, point to the potential benefits of one specific shingles vaccine: Shingrix.
In the first Nature Medicine study, Dr. Jonathan Menezes, a family medicine and geriatric doctor with Kaiser Permanente, said researchers found that people who got the Shingrix vaccine had a 17% lower chance of being diagnosed with dementia in the six years after their shots than people who got the less-effective Zostavax vaccine.
In the second GSK study, Menezes said researchers found that “individuals were 20% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the 5 years following the vaccination” compared to others who were vaccinated for different illnesses.
Menezes said there are two main theories as to why the research is pointing in this direction:
“No. 1: The vaccine may reduce the reactivation of the herpes virus,” he said.
But what does the herpes virus have to do with dementia?
Menezes said both chickenpox and shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is in the herpes family.
“Even though we may not have manifested with the chickenpox virus, we all have the virus within us,” he told WTOP. Right now, an estimated 98% of U.S. adults have had chickenpox or are at risk for shingles.
And therein lies the potential issue that causes dementia and memory problems.
“We don’t know if the herpes virus is causing an inflammatory response in the brain or not, but that is the hypothesis here,” Menezes said.
That’s why a vaccine like Shingrix, he said, could be a solution.
Increasingly, Menezes said research points to the fact that certain viruses in the herpes family — like that which causes chickenpox — can take root, hiding in the brain, waiting for your immune system to drop its guard.
If/when the viral agents reactivate, which can happen when your immune system falters or your body is under stress, the resulting inflammation from shingles can cause damage that leads to dementia.
This leads to reason No. 2 concerning why Shingrix could be an effective answer.
“There is a specific immune response that may be triggered by the Shingrix vaccine, and that may also lower your risk for dementia and memory problems,” Menezes said.
The bottom line?
“It’s exciting news, but we need to look a little deeper,” said Menezes.
He said that in light of this encouraging data, he expects additional studies to be done. While the jury is still out, this could be a game changer.
In both studies, even when patients who had the Shingrix vaccine were diagnosed with dementia, there was additional evidence that indicated the Shingrix vaccine could help delay diagnosis, even if it doesn’t prevent dementia altogether in some patients.
“You should be vaccinated in the first place to prevent shingles,” Menezes said. “But if it can also prevent dementia in you later years, what an excellent benefit.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
