New research shows an unexpected link between shingles vaccination and lower dementia risk

A shingles vaccine was tied to a 20% drop in new dementia cases over seven years.

The U.K. rollout created a natural experiment using birthdate eligibility.

Reduction was especially strong in women, beyond the effects on shingles itself.

Researchers at Stanford Medicine dove into health records from older adults in Wales to explore the link between the shingles vaccine and the risk of dementia.

They focused on those eligible for the live-attenuated shingles vaccine (Zostavax) based on an exact birthdate cutoff: anyone born on or after September 2, 1933 was eligible, while those born just before werent.

Because both groups were nearly identical in age, health, and behavior except for vaccine eligibility this setup acted like a natural randomized trial.

The result? Receiving the shingles vaccine was associated with a 20% lower chance of developing dementia over the next seven years, even after accounting for who actually got vaccinated.

All these associational studies suffer from the basic problem that people who get vaccinated have different health behaviors than those who dont, researcher Pascal Geldsetzer, M.D., Ph.D., said in a news release. In general, theyre seen as not being solid enough evidence to make any recommendations on.

The study

For the study, the researchers used a regression discontinuity design it allows them to compare people who are alike except for being eligible for vaccination. By looking at those born just before and after the September 1933 cutoff, they ensured both groups were very similar. One group had a 47.2% vaccination rate, while the other had only 0.01%.

Health records were tracked for seven years, noting new dementia diagnoses. To make sure the vaccine itself was the key difference, they checked that the groups didnt differ in other diseases, doctor visits, or preventive health behavior. They even used alternative analyses to confirm the findings held up no matter how they looked at the data .

The study

The researchers found that there were fewer dementia cases overall. Being eligible for the vaccine cut new dementia diagnoses by 1.3 percentage points, or about 8.5% fewer cases.

In participants who actually got the shot, the reduction jumped to 3.5 points, a 20% drop in dementia risk.

It was a really striking finding, Dr. Geldsetzer said in the news release. This huge protective signal was there, any which way you looked at the data.

The team also learned that women had greater protective cognitive benefits than men. Though the vaccine lowered dementia risk for both sexes, the effect was significantly stronger in women.

What this means for you

The findings highlight a bonus to getting your shingles vaccine: the potential to protect your brain. Scientists are still trying to figure out why it works whether its because the vaccine stops inflammation-causing shingles outbreaks, or if the vaccine primes the immune system in a way that wards off dementia.

While the study is robust, with careful methods that reduce bias, its still observational. That means it can show a strong connection, but not absolute proof. The researchers stress the need for randomized clinical trials before making firm claims.

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Older men are often lonely ... and they have guns and know how to use them

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• While youth suicide has declined after public health focus, suicide rates among men 75+ remain alarmingly high

• Men over 85 die by suicide at rates more than 50 times higher than women, often via firearms

• Experts urge a national prevention strategy tailored to aging men, countering stigma and isolation

After years of intensifying concern over youth mental health including a 2021 warning from the U.S. surgeon general and a declaration of crisis from the American Psychological Association the suicide rate among teens and young adults began to fall in 2022 and 2023. That success, experts say, stems from a flood of advocacy, media attention, and public health investment.

But while young people received national attention, the group most at risk of dying by suicide wentlargely unnoticed: older men, particularly those aged 75 and above, according to studies quoted by Statnews.

An overlooked demographic,deadly risk

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates for men aged 75 to 84 reached 38.2 per 100,000 in 2021, rising to 55.7 per 100,000 among those 85 and older a rate more than 16 times higher than their female peers. These are the highest suicide rates of any demographic group in the United States.

Despite the staggering figures, older adults have been left out of most national suicide prevention efforts.

Why Are Older Men Dying by Suicide?

Experts point to a complex web of factors, including:

• Access to firearms, the most lethal method of suicide. Guns were responsible for suicide death rates 17 times higher among men than women aged 7584, and 51 times higher among men 85+.

• Masculine socialization, which discourages emotional expression, help-seeking, and reliance on social support.

• Life changes and stressors like retirement, illness, disability, bereavement, and social disconnection.

Men spend their lives achieving and neglecting social connections, said Igor Galynker, psychiatry professor at Mount Sinai. When they retire, they lose both their social life and sense of purpose.

Research shows that older women, by contrast, are more adept at building and maintaining support networks, are more likely to recognize depressive symptoms, and are more inclined to seek mental health care.

Worried about someone?

If you're concerned about someone, suicide prevention resources are available, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988). Early intervention and social support can be life-saving.

But the lower price is still higher than insurance, Medicare and overseas rates

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs