The UK’s Biggest Killer ‘Dementia’ Can Be Prevented: Latest Research Reveals
GSK’s Shingrix is the latest drug to show potential for targeting untreatable mental disorders. It is determined that a vaccine against the viral infection shingles potentially lowers the risk of dementia. Scientists discovered through latest research that ‘Shingles Vaccine’ has the tendency that could help combat brain disorders. People jabbed with Shingrix lived an average of 164 days more than those who were not jabbed, according to an article published in Time Magazine.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research funded researchers at Oxford University to research more than 200,000 US citizens vaccinated for Shingles, about half of whom received the new vaccine. Over the next six years, the risk of dementia was 17% lower in those who received Shingrix compared with Zostavax. Even for those who went on to develop dementia amounted to 164 days of living without the condition. The effect was observed to be 13% in men and 22% in women. The researchers did also examine dementia rates in people who received other vaccines. They found those who received Shingrix had a 23 to 27% lower risk of dementia than those who received other vaccines.
There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is projected to rise to 1.4 million in 2040. Globally there are more than 55 million people living with dementia This suggests one in three persons will develop the condition in their lifetime. This is alarming as it portrays a worrying picture and requires serious attention.
Shingles is a painful and serious condition afflicting many elderly people. It is normally caused by the Herpes zoster virus that can come into existence to those who previously has chicken pox. After the advent of Zostavax a vaccine against Shingles in 2006, it was 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 In many countries, including the UK and USA, Zostavax has now been withdrawn and replaced by a much more effective vaccine (Shingrix).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 October 2017 there was a switchover between Zostavax and Shingrix in USA. This allowed researchers to compare the risk of dementia in the following six years. People jabbed with Shingrix were compared to similar people who had received Zostavax. 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.
Various additional analyses suggest that these finding are robust but the researchers believe that further research is needed before any suggestion is made that the shingles vaccine should be used to help prevent or delay dementia onset.
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Published: 29th of July 2024
By: Angel Care Health