New study finds shingles vaccine linked to 50% lower risk of dementia

The Shingles vaccine Shingles, a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, also known as herpes zoster, is intended to prevent — but a new study suggests it may have major secondary benefits.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified a possible link between the shingles vaccine and a lower risk of developing it. Vascular dementia.

The vaccine is also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events and death in people 50 and older.

Researchers have identified a possible link between the shingles vaccine and a lower risk of developing vascular dementia. (iStock)

Experts presented the findings last week at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, site of IDWEEK 2025, the joint annual meeting of the leading infectious disease professional organizations in the US.

The study authors examined the health records of 174,000 adults in the U.S. and followed participants who received the vaccine over a period of three months to seven years.

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Participants who received the shingles vaccine almost halved the risk of developing vascular dementia.

They also had a 25% lower risk Heart attack or stroke27% lower risk of blood clots and 21% lower risk of death, according to a news release from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Shingles is a red, sore, painful rash caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox. (iStock)

“The findings of our study show that the shingles vaccine may help reduce this risk, especially in people who are already at risk of heart attack or stroke,” said lead author Ali Deghani, MD, an internal medicine physician at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, in the IDSA report.

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Shingles is a red, sore, painful rash caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox. latent Varicella zoster virus After a person has chicken pox, the body has a dormant state. It can become active in later years, leading to shingles, health experts told Fox News Digital.

Participants who received the shingles vaccine almost halved the risk of developing vascular dementia. (iStock)

This condition can lead to cardiovascular and neurologic complications, previous studies have shown.

Shingles affects one in three Americans, and more than 99% of people born before 1980 have had chicken pox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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“Shingles isn’t just a rash — it can increase the risk of serious problems heart and brainDehghani said in a press release.

These latest findings build on previous studies that suggest the vaccine may help protect individuals from shingles and related complications, according to infectious disease experts.

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“This very interesting study … supports previous evidence that the shingles vaccine may offer many benefits general healthagainst the development of dementia, in addition to preventing a very painful and common disease known as shingles,” Dr. Aaron Glatt, ISDA spokesman and board-certified infectious disease physician at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York, told Fox News Digital.

While more studies are needed, the doctors said, “It’s very comforting to know that the shingles vaccine is definitely associated with significant overall health benefits beyond its intended purpose.” (iStock)

Although these findings are “very exciting and potentially clinically important,” Glatt — who was not involved in the study — noted that it has not yet been proven that these benefits are due to the shingles vaccine.

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The doctors point out that several potential mechanisms may contribute to this association, including reduced inflammation.

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While more studies are needed, Glatt said, “It’s very comforting to know that the shingles vaccine is definitely associated with something important overall. Health benefits beyond his intent.”

CDC recommends two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) to prevent shingles and related complications in the elderly. 50 years and aboveAlso for adults 19 years of age and older who are or are immunodeficient or immunosuppressed.