LOS ANGELES / LONDON – Novel research suggests the shingles vaccine may offer benefits beyond preventing a painful rash, potentially slowing down biological aging. The study indicates the vaccine reduces systemic inflammation and rejuvenates cellular mechanisms. However, researchers found no changes in markers for neurodegenerative diseases.
The shingles vaccine, recommended for older adults to avoid a painful rash, may have deeper benefits, according to new research. A recent analysis suggests this vaccination is associated with slower biological aging. The study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, suggests the vaccine could dampen systemic inflammation and produce cellular mechanisms appear younger.
Even as most people measure their age by the number of birthdays, scientists refer to this as chronological age. Individuals born in the same year can have very different health profiles. Biological age attempts to measure the actual wear and tear on the body’s tissues and systems.
Researchers Jung Ki Kim and Eileen M. Crimmins from the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California conducted the study. They aimed to understand whether the shingles vaccine influences the fundamental processes that drive aging. Previous research has suggested certain adult vaccines may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
The researchers hypothesized that the vaccine works by suppressing the varicella-zoster virus. This virus, responsible for chickenpox, remains inactive in the body’s nerve cells long after the initial infection. When reactivated, it causes shingles, but can also exert low-level stress on the immune system even without a rash. This chronic activation can lead to “inflammaging,” a persistent, low-grade inflammation that breaks down tissues over time.
To test their hypothesis, Kim and Crimmins used data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large, ongoing survey representing the older U.S. Population. The team analyzed biological samples collected in 2016 from nearly 4,000 adults over the age of 70.
The researchers didn’t rely on a single test to determine biological health. Instead, they examined blood samples to measure aging across seven different biological areas, including inflammation, cardiovascular health, and two types of immune function. They also analyzed DNA methylation and gene expression, molecular markers that serve as “clocks” for estimating cellular age.
The results showed a clear difference between those who had received the shingles vaccine and those who hadn’t. Vaccinated individuals had significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein and other markers of systemic inflammation, supporting the theory that the vaccine helps reduce the body’s overall inflammatory burden.
The study also found that vaccinated participants had younger cellular profiles. Their epigenetic and transcriptomic clocks – measurements of how genes are regulated and expressed – showed a slower pace of aging compared to unvaccinated peers. When the researchers combined all the measurements into a single composite score, the vaccinated group again showed a healthier biological profile.
While the findings regarding inflammation and molecular aging were positive, results related to neurodegeneration were different and unexpected. Given previous epidemiological evidence linking shingles vaccination with a reduced risk of dementia, the researchers specifically looked for biological evidence of brain protection in the blood.
They measured the concentrations of specific proteins like neurofilament light chain and phosphorylated tau. These proteins are well-established biomarkers for neurodegeneration. When brain cells are damaged or die, these proteins leak into the bloodstream and can serve as early warning signs of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Despite the healthier profiles observed in other systems, the researchers found no association between the shingles vaccine and these neurodegenerative biomarkers. Levels of the brain damage proteins were essentially the same in both groups, vaccinated and unvaccinated. The results were not statistically significant, meaning the vaccine doesn’t appear to prevent the accumulation of these specific damage markers in the blood.
This null result is important as it adds nuance to the discussion about vaccines and dementia. It suggests that if the shingles vaccine does reduce dementia risk, as other studies indicate, it may not be by directly stopping the cellular damage measured by these specific proteins.
Alternatively, it’s possible that protective effects on the brain take longer to manifest than the timeframe of this study allowed. It’s also possible that blood biomarkers aren’t sensitive enough to capture the specific type of neuroprotection the vaccine might offer.
The study also revealed a complex result regarding the adaptive immune system. This part of the immune system remembers past infections. Vaccinated individuals actually had higher levels in this area, which in the context of this study indicated a decline in function. The authors suggest this could be a sign the immune system is working hard to remember the virus, or it could reflect the natural aging of immune cells.
Timing appeared to play a role in the observed benefits. Improvements in DNA methylation and gene expression were most noticeable in individuals vaccinated within the last three years. In contrast, the benefits related to lower inflammation were strongest in those who received the vaccine four or more years prior. This suggests different biological systems respond to the vaccination differently.
There are limitations to this research that should be considered. The study is observational, meaning it cannot definitively prove that the vaccine caused the slower aging. It’s possible that people who choose to get vaccinated are generally healthier or wealthier than those who don’t. The researchers used statistical models to adjust for education, income, and health history to minimize this “healthy user bias,” but it remains a factor.
the data came from a time when the older Zostavax vaccine was the standard. A newer, more effective vaccine called Shingrix is now recommended. It is unknown whether the newer vaccine would produce the same, weaker, or stronger associations with biological aging.
The lack of a direct link with neurodegenerative markers serves as a reminder that biological aging is a multifaceted process. While the vaccine appears to help with inflammation and molecular regulation, its relationship to brain health markers isn’t straightforward. Future research needs to follow individuals over longer periods to see if these biological differences translate into fewer cases of frailty or disease.
Shingles vaccine slows biological aging (Photo: DALL-E, IT BOLTWISE)
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