New research published Tuesday suggests the viral disease shingles may be harmful to our long-term brain health. Scientists have shown that people who develop shingles are about 20% more likely to subsequently experience cognitive decline. The findings appear to support the growing belief that the shingles vaccine can protect against dementia.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VSV), the same bacteria that causes chickenpox in children and young adults. When someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus often manages to survive and hide within our nervous system. Years later, and often decades, about one-third of chickenpox cases result in reinfection with the virus, called shingles. Shingles is no small matter, often causing severe pain, rashes and other symptoms for up to five weeks. Some people also experience nerve pain that lasts for years.
Some studies suggest that VSV and other bacteria hiding in the brain may cause subtle neurological damage, specifically increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But this remains controversial, with some studies failing to support this association. Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital led the latest study in hopes of better elucidating the potential relationship between shingles and worsening brain health.
The researchers analyzed data from three early large-scale studies that actively tracked the long-term health of nursing and health care professionals (these studies are called prospective studies). As part of these studies, people are often asked about their cognitive health and whether they have had shingles. Overall, their analysis covered nearly 150,000 people.
Researchers found that those who had shingles were significantly more likely to experience cognitive decline. Even after accounting for other factors, they found that having shingles was associated with a 20 percent increased risk of subjective cognitive decline in both men and women. Men who carry this gene are at higher risk apolipoprotein4a common genetic variant known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings were published Tuesday in the journal Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment.
This study by itself does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between shingles and cognitive decline, but it is the latest evidence to support the idea. In late July, for example, British scientists found that people who received the latest shingles vaccine, Shingrix, were less likely to develop dementia over six years, even compared with people who received an older, less potent shingles vaccine. in this way. Shingrix is already very effective at its primary job, providing up to more than 90% protection against shingles for at least seven years. Early research from a team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital also suggests that shingles may increase the risk of long-term cardiovascular disease. So with that and these latest findings in mind, researchers say preventing shingles may be more valuable than currently thought.
“Our findings show the long-term effects of shingles and highlight public health efforts to prevent and promote shingles,” researcher Sharon Curhan, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a statement. The Importance of Herpes Vaccination “Given that more and more Americans are at risk for this painful and often disabling disease and that a highly effective vaccine is available, shingles vaccination can provide a valuable opportunity to mitigate it. the burden of herpes zoster and may reduce the burden of subsequent cognitive decline.
Because chickenpox was once so common, about one-third of Americans over age 50 are expected to develop shingles in their lifetime without vaccination. So, considering how painful the experience can be, preventing shingles with two simple injections is an easy deal—and keeping your brain sharper as you age might just be the icing on the cake.
