Shingles, a virus known for causing painful symptoms like burning, tingling, sensitivity, and rashes, has long been a target for prevention through vaccination. Now, emerging research suggests that the shingles vaccine might offer protection beyond its original purpose—potentially slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lisa Spooner, anchor for Gulf Coast News Today, recently spoke with Lee Belanger, an Alzheimer’s patient who believes the shingles vaccine has played a role in slowing her condition. Five years ago, Belanger noticed troubling memory lapses, such as forgetting how to start her Instant Pot, prompting her to seek medical evaluation. After some persistence, she received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Despite the challenges, Belanger has refused to let the diagnosis define her. She expressed gratitude for the early detection, seeing it as a chance to actively fight the disease rather than succumb to despair. Determined to slow the disease’s progress, she immersed herself in learning everything she could about Alzheimer’s and ways to manage it.
Her approach includes staying mentally and physically active. Belanger helps dementia patients, works at a thrift store open to the public, exercises regularly, and pursues intellectual hobbies such as reading extensively about World War II spies and code breakers. She credits this active lifestyle as one of the reasons her Alzheimer’s has not advanced significantly.
Adding to her optimism is a recent study published in the journal Nature, which found that the shingles vaccine might reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Belanger, having received multiple shingles vaccinations, feels confident that the vaccine has helped keep her symptoms from worsening. She explained that since shingles is a neurological disease, the vaccine calms overactive neurons linked to the condition. Research conducted in Wales and at Stanford University supports the idea that the vaccine could slow Alzheimer’s progression by up to 20 percent.
Stefanie Wardlow, Florida research champion for the Alzheimer’s Association, emphasized the importance of such findings. She highlighted that research, including this new study, provides hope by increasing understanding of the disease and moving closer to finding a cure. Wardlow noted the shingles vaccine’s potential to reduce inflammation, a significant factor in Alzheimer’s alongside plaques and tangles in the brain.
Inflammation occurs throughout the body and specifically affects the brain in Alzheimer’s patients, making it a crucial focus for new treatment avenues. However, Wardlow cautioned that these initial results are preliminary and require further validation through studies involving larger and more diverse populations. The current study was conducted outside the United States, limiting its generalizability.
In the meantime, Belanger continues to live life positively and urges others with Alzheimer’s to do the same. She stresses the importance of maintaining a positive outlook, noting that worry only wastes precious present moments without changing the future. While fully aware of the disease’s potential progression, she remains hopeful that measures like the shingles vaccine, exercise, and a positive mindset can slow its advance—and that remains her personal mission.
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