Funder: This research was supported by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR203316). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the UK Department of Health. MT is an NIHR clinical lecturer. JAT was also supported by JDRF (4-SRA-2017-473-A-N) and Wellcome (203141/A/16/Z). The funder of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.
Media release
From: University of Oxford
New shingles vaccine could reduce risk of dementia – major study indicates · New evidence indicates that the new shingles vaccine is more protective against dementia compared to the previous shingles vaccine, which was also reported to reduce dementia rates. It is also more protective than vaccines against other infections.· A study of more than 200,000 people by researchers at the University of Oxford funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) found at least a 17% reduction in dementia diagnoses in the six years after the new recombinant shingles vaccination, equating to 164 or more additional days lived without dementia.· The benefit was seen in both sexes but was greater in women.· The findings suggest that the recombinant shingles vaccine may have additional value in terms of protection against dementia. Further research is needed to confirm this, and to identify how and why the vaccine has this effect.The new recombinant shingles vaccine ‘Shingrix’ is associated with a reduced risk of dementia compared to an earlier shingles vaccine, according to a major new study published in Nature Medicine.Shingles is a painful and serious condition afflicting many elderly people. It is caused by the Herpes zoster virus that can flare up in people who previously had chicken pox. After the introduction of a vaccine against shingles (Zostavax) in 2006, several studies have suggested that the risk of dementia might be lower in people who had received the vaccine, although results were not conclusive. In many countries, including the UK and USA, Zostavax has now been withdrawn and replaced by a much more effective vaccine (Shingrix). In the UK, Shingrix is being offered by the NHS to all elderly people and certain other groups.In the new study, researchers at the University of Oxford and NIHR OH BRC used the USA TriNetX electronic health records network. In the USA, there was a switchover between Zostavax and Shingrix in October 2017. This allowed the researchers to compare the risk of dementia in the six years following Shingrix compared to otherwise similar people who had received Zostavax. More than 100,000 people were in each group. Shingrix was also compared to people who had received vaccines against other infections (flu and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis).Shingrix was associated with 17% lower risk of dementia than Zostavax, and 23-27% less than with the other vaccines. This equates to 5-9 more months lived without dementia for those who had been given the Shingrix vaccine compared to the other vaccines. The beneficial effects were present in both sexes but greater in women than in men.Various additional analyses showed that these findings are robust but the researchers say further research is needed before any suggestion is made that the shingles vaccine should be used to help prevent or delay dementia onset.Dr Maxime Taquet, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford, who led the study said: “The size and nature of this study makes these findings convincing, and should motivate further research. They support the hypothesis that vaccination against shingles might prevent dementia. If validated in clinical trials, these findings could have significant implications for older adults, health services, and public health.”John Todd, Professor of Precision Medicine at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: “A key question is, how does the vaccine produce its apparent benefit in protecting against dementia? One possibility is that infection with the Herpes zoster virus might increase the risk of dementia, and therefore by inhibiting the virus the vaccine could reduce this risk. Alternatively, the vaccine also contains chemicals which might have separate beneficial effects on brain health.”Paul Harrison, Professor of Psychiatry and OH BRC Theme lead for Molecular Targets, who supervised the study, said: “The findings are intriguing and encouraging. Anything that might reduce the risk of dementia is to be welcomed, given the large and increasing number of people affected by it.”ENDSNotes to editor:This new paper ‘The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with a lower risk of dementia’ will be available in Nature Medicine here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03201-5· The University Department of Psychiatry’s mission is to conduct world-class research, teach psychiatry to medical students, develop future researchers in a graduate programme, teach doctors in training, promote excellence in clinical practice, and develop and provide innovative clinical services. It supports research in four key areas: neurobiology, psychological treatments, developmental psychiatry and social psychiatry. The Department is committed to the translation of scientific discovery into benefits for patients. www.psych.ox.ac.uk· Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number 2 in the QS World Rankings 2022. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.· Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.· Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 200 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past three years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.The Oxford Health BRC (Biomedical Research Centre):The Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) led by Professor John Geddes is based at the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. The OH BRC is run-in partnership with the University of Oxford and involves 11 additional partner university and NHS Trusts across England. Support for infrastructure is provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) for 11 research Themes focused on brain health.About the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:· Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;· Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;· Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;· Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;· Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;· Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.