Why this new shingles shot might help you remember better
The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with lower risk of dementia
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Publication
Journal
Nature Medicine
Year
2024
Authors
M. Taquet, Quentin Dercon, John A. Todd, P. J. Harrison
Related Content
Claims (6)
Older adults who got the newer shingles shot lived about 164 more days without getting dementia over six years than those who got the older shingles shot—suggesting the newer shot might help protect the brain a bit better.
Getting the shingles shot might help keep your memory sharper for a little while—like pushing back dementia by a year or two—but it doesn’t stop it for good.
The new shingles shot seems to help women avoid dementia longer than men — women got about 22% more time without a diagnosis, while men got about 13% more, and this difference wasn’t just by chance.
A newer shingles shot works better than the old one at preventing shingles, and people who get the newer shot also seem less likely to get dementia—maybe because both problems are linked in some way inside the body.
People who got the shingles shot seem to have a lower chance of getting dementia than people who got the flu shot or the Tdap shot — and this isn’t just because healthier people tend to get more vaccines.