Latest shingles vaccine may also delay dementia, study finds
There may be new hope in the fight against dementia, according to recent research that found the latest shingles vaccine appears to delay the onset of the memory-impairing condition.
In the study, published in Nature Medicine on Thursday, researchers found people who got the vaccine lived, on average, an additional 164 days without a dementia diagnosis compared to those who received the previous shingles vaccines.
On "CBS Mornings" Friday, Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, said the results were exciting.
"The fact that we have a vaccine that's already approved, already out there, covered by insurance, super easy to get. The fact that that is showing this kind of level of protection is really promising for a lot," she said.
In an expert reaction shared alongside the study, Dr. Sheona Scales, the director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said, "Dementia isn't an inevitable part of aging; it's caused by diseases like Alzheimer's. So finding new ways to reduce people's risk of developing these diseases is vital."
But, it isn't clear how the vaccine might be reducing risk, Scales' comment continued, adding "It will be critical to study this apparent effect further."
The authors also note further research is needed to understand what exactly creates this association.
Who should get the shingles vaccine?
The CDC already recommends that everyone get the two-dose shingles vaccine starting at age 50.
"I think the real question before us now is, should we be starting to vaccinate even earlier? Will you need more doses if you start vaccinating vaccinating earlier? We don't have answers to that yet," Gounder said.
Other steps to prevent dementia
Preventing dementia later in life involves a lot of the same things experts advise for overall health.
"You want to control your blood pressure, avoid developing diabetes through good diet and exercise, but if you have diabetes, be sure to manage it well, quit smoking," Gounder said.
A newer risk factor to be aware of, she said, is air pollution caused by wildfire smoke.
"Try to minimize your exposure, get some indoor air filtration units. You might want to be wearing a mask outdoors during those periods," Gounder advised.