People with dementia who got the shingles vaccine were nearly 30% less likely to die from dementia over nine years—maybe the vaccine helps slow down how fast dementia gets worse, even in advanced stages.

People with dementia who get the shingles vaccine may live longer than those who don’t, but the vaccine doesn’t seem to help people without dementia live longer—so maybe it’s helping slow down dementia itself.

Getting the shingles vaccine might help lower your risk of developing different kinds of dementia, especially a mix of Alzheimer’s and blood vessel problems in the brain.

Getting the shingles vaccine when you're 80 or older might slightly lower your risk of dying from dementia over the next nine years—especially for women—but not so much for men.

Getting the shingles shot after age 80 might help people with dementia live longer, even if they already have dementia — it doesn’t stop dementia from starting, but it might slow it down.

People who got the shingles vaccine didn’t have more or fewer other health problems than those just barely eligible for it—and since those groups were otherwise similar, it looks like the vaccine might help lower dementia risk, not just luck or other health habits.