Inside Health Potential Break Through in Dementia Treatment
Aug 26, 2025
Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer, Assistant Professor at Stanford University, reveals groundbreaking research linking the shingles vaccine to a 20% reduced risk of developing dementia. He discusses the implications of viral infections on brain health and the need for further studies. The conversation also touches upon a new gonorrhea vaccine targeting antibiotic resistance, and innovative robotic clothing designed to assist elderly mobility. These advancements may revolutionize healthcare strategies and independence for aging populations.
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Natural Experiment From Vaccine Rollout
- The Welsh shingles rollout created near-random eligibility by birth date, giving researchers a natural experiment.
- Pascal Geldsetzer used this quasi-randomisation to infer likely causal effects on dementia risk.
Substantial Dementia Reduction Signal
- The study estimates roughly one in five new dementia diagnoses were averted over seven years.
- Pascal Geldsetzer highlights this effect as potentially larger than many recent drug results.
How A Vaccine Might Protect The Brain
- Two plausible mechanisms: preventing virus reactivation in nerves, or boosting broader immune function.
- Both pathways could reduce chronic brain inflammation linked to dementia.