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Scientists have discovered that a certain dose of Shingles Vaccines may do more than just protect against viruses Infectbut also slow down biological aging in the elderly.
Researchers from universities Southern California explain vaccineMedications given to older adults on a regular basis can be used for more than just preventing shingles.
it follows a study The study of more than 3,800 people found that those who were vaccinated showed fewer signs of biological aging and inflammation than those who were not vaccinated.
“By helping to reduce this background inflammation – possibly by preventing the reactivation of the virus that causes shingles, vaccines may play a role in supporting healthy aging,” said Jung Ki Kim, lead author of the study.
“While the exact biological mechanisms remain to be understood, the potential of vaccination to reduce inflammation makes it a promising addition to broader strategies aimed at improving resilience and slowing age-related decline.”
Research results support recent researchMs King said the study had identified a link between adult vaccines such as shingles or influenza and a reduced risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
“This study is further evidence that, in addition to preventing infection, vaccines can promote healthy aging by modulating biological systems,” she said.
The NHS offers shingles vaccination to all adults aged 65 and over and aged 70 to 79.
In the latest study, scientists used data from nearly 4,000 older adults in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study to examine how shingles shots affect multiple signs of aging.
They measured seven aspects of biological aging, including inflammation, infection defense, adaptive immunity, blood flow, neurodegeneration, epigenetic aging and transcriptomic aging.
Those who received the vaccine had significantly lower inflammation measures, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, and better biological aging scores.
Research points to a phenomenon known as inflammation, a well-known factor in conditions such as heart disease, frailty and cognitive decline, Ms. King said.
She said: “Vaccines may play a role in supporting healthy ageing by helping to reduce this background inflammation – possibly by preventing the virus that causes shingles from reactivating.
“While the exact biological mechanisms remain to be understood, the potential of vaccination to reduce inflammation makes it a promising addition to broader strategies aimed at improving resilience and slowing age-related decline.”
Eileen Crimmins, co-author of the study, said: “These findings suggest that shingles vaccination affects key areas related to the aging process.
“While further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings, particularly using longitudinal and experimental designs, our study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that vaccines may play a role in healthy aging strategies beyond just preventing acute illness.”