New Shingles Vaccine May Reduce Dementia Risk

A new study from the University of Oxford, published in Nature Medicine, suggests that the recently approved shingles vaccine, Shingrix, could reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Researchers analyzed data from over 200,000 Americans, half of whom had received the Shingrix vaccine. The results showed that the risk of developing dementia within six years after vaccination was 17 percent lower in the vaccinated group, with an even greater effect observed among women.

Sören Andersson, head of unit at the Swedish Public Health Agency, described the study as extensive and well-conducted, adding that it reinforces earlier findings pointing in the same direction.

While the results are promising, further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and to confirm the link between shingles vaccination and reduced dementia risk.

You can read more about the study at Nature Medicine.

Sensorem’s safety alarm has GPS positioning, medication reminders and automatic fall alarm

Sensorem’s personal alarm is an example of a technical aid specially developed for people with dementia. The personal alarm works outdoors and has built-in GPS positioning so that relatives can see the user’s position on a map in the Sensorem app. Relatives are automatically called by the personal alarm (two-way communication) if the user leaves a predetermined geographical area. The personal alarm also has medication reminders, which means that the watch emits a sound and tells the user that it is time to take their medication. The personal alarm can also alert automatically in the event of a fall with the built-in fall sensor.