A new, stronger flu shot could slash Alzheimer’s risk in half, according to new data.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), found that adults 65 and older who received a high-dose influenza vaccine had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who received the standard dose.
The immune system naturally weakens with age, making older adults less responsive to standard vaccines. To combat this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a high-dose flu vaccine for people over 65. This version is approximately four times stronger than the standard shot.
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Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, affects more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News senior medical contributor, weighed in on the impact of the flu shot on Alzheimer’s risk.
As the vaccine directly affects the immune system, it is possible that this interaction could decrease inflammation in the body and “thereby indirectly decrease Alzheimer’s risk,” Siegel, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
“Flu shots and their components do not cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning they aren’t directly affecting brain cells.”
“I was stunned that, as a physician, I didn’t know a higher dose was offered,” lead study author Paul Schulz, professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, said in a press release.
Schulz also led a previous study linking general flu vaccination to a 40% reduction in Alzheimer’s risk.
While the previous research had already linked general flu vaccination to a reduction in Alzheimer’s risk, this new study looked specifically at the strength of the dose.
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“The public health department had seen our vaccine research and asked if I could come down to talk to them about it,” said Schulz. “We went through the findings, and they asked if there was a difference with different dosages; I was confused.”
After sorting through data from nearly 200,000 older adults, the team found the adults who received the high-dose vaccine had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who received the standard dose.
Adults in the high-dose group had an almost 55% lower risk than those who weren’t vaccinated, significantly outperforming standard-dose protection.
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The protective effect of the high-dose vaccine was even more pronounced in women compared to men, although both groups saw significant benefits.
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This study shows a link, not a cause, the researchers noted.
Experts can’t say for certain that the flu shot itself stopped Alzheimer’s because people who get high-dose vaccines might also have other healthy habits, like better diets or more frequent check-ups.
The researchers also looked at medical records after the fact, rather than following two controlled groups in real time, which can sometimes result in missing information or biases.
“This is not a cause/effect study,” Siegel reiterated. “We can’t conclude that the flu shot itself causes the effect; it could be something about the people who decide to take this shot.”
The study also focused on people over 65, so it’s unclear whether getting these shots earlier in life would provide the same level of protection.
“This needs to be further studied, but it is already certainly another reason to take a flu shot,” Siegel added.
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The study was published in the journal Neurology.
