New research has shown that a simple jab could help pensioners live longer and slow biological ageing in older adults.
The study showed that people aged 70 or older who had the shingles jab scored better on four key aspects of biological ageing, including inflammation.
Using data from the nationally representative U.S. Health and Retirement Study, researchers examined how shingles vaccination affected several aspects of biological ageing in more than 3,800 participants who were 70 or older in 2016.
Even when allowing for other socio-demographic and health variables, those who received the shingles vaccine showed slower overall biological ageing on average in comparison to unvaccinated people.
Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, or varicella zoster.
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Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles, and though shingles can occur at younger ages, the risk is higher among those aged 50 or older and immunocompromised individuals.
Vaccination, which has generally only been provided to older people, offers protection from shingles as well as a lower chance of postherpetic neuralgia, or long-term pain after a shingles infection.
While vaccines are designed to protect against acute infection, recent studies have highlighted a possible connection between adult vaccines – including those for shingles and influenza – and lower risks of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Professor Jung Ki Kim said: ‘This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy ageing by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention.’
Unlike chronological ageing, she explained that biological ageing refers to how the body is changing over time, including how well organs and systems are working.
Two people who are both 65 years of age may look very different inside: one may have the biological profile of someone younger, while another may show signs of ageing earlier.
On average, vaccinated people had ‘significantly’ lower inflammation measurements, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic ageing, and lower composite biological ageing scores.
The team say the results, published in the Journal of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, provide more insight into the possible mechanisms underlying how immune system health interacts with the ageing process.
Professor Kim says chronic, low-level inflammation is a well-known contributor to many age-related conditions – including heart disease, frailty, and cognitive decline – known as ‘inflammaging’.
She said: ‘By helping to reduce this background inflammation – possibly by preventing reactivation of the virus that causes shingles, the vaccine may play a role in supporting healthier ageing.
‘While the exact biological mechanisms remain to be understood, the potential for vaccination to reduce inflammation makes it a promising addition to broader strategies aimed at promoting resilience and slowing age-related decline.’
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