A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one โ shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect ageing brains.
The research, published in the journal Nature, is part of growing understanding about how many factors influence brain health as we age โ and what we can do about it.
โItโs a very robust finding,โ said lead researcher Dr Pascal Geldsetzer of Stanford University in the US state of California. And โwomen seem to benefit moreโ, important as they are at higher risk of dementia.
The study tracked people in Wales who were around 80 when receiving the worldโs first-generation shingles vaccine over a decade ago. Now, Americans 50 and older are urged to get a newer vaccine that has proven more effective against shingles than its predecessor.