Does the shingles jab slash your risk of dementia? Drugs giant GSK launches ground-breaking study that could save millions of Brits from developing the disease

British drugs elephantine GSK is launching a ground-breaking probe that could prevention millions of Britons from processing dementia, The Mail connected Sunday tin reveal.

The trailblazing survey volition usage the information from up to 1.4million NHS patients to trial whether its shingles vaccine reduces the hazard of the degenerative disease, which is the country's biggest killer, claiming 75,000 lives each year.

The four-year task volition question to corroborate mounting grounds the Shingrix vaccine – already disposable connected the NHS – cuts the hazard of dementia by up to 27 per cent compared with an older shingles vaccine, Zostervax, which besides has a protective effect.

Tony Wood, GSK's main technological officer, said: 'We anticipation this volition not lone reply cardinal questions to assistance trim dementia hazard but besides pave the mode for aboriginal research.'

Experts are excited by the improvement due to the fact that truthful acold determination is nary cure oregon effectual attraction for dementia.

Existing blockbuster drugs lecanemab and donanemab are not considered cost-effective for usage connected the NHS.

If the Shingrix jab was confirmed to connection protection, it would mean millions of older adults could payment from a vaccine already administered done the NHS. 

It has been offered since 2023 to everyone turning 65 to support against the varicella zoster virus, which leads to astir 50,000 cases of shingles each year.

Professor Adam Finn, a subordinate of the Government's Joint Committee connected Vaccines and Immunisation, said determination were already plans to widen the roll-out of the shingles jab to each over-60s.

But helium added: 'If determination is recovered to beryllium a dementia-preventing effect, that mightiness marque it cost-effective to springiness the vaccine adjacent earlier.'

Now the biggest survey yet is to beryllium launched, comparing the fig of dementia diagnoses successful radical who person had the jab with those successful a likewise aged radical who person not.

Dr Sheona Scales, manager of probe astatine Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'It's not yet wide however the shingles vaccine mightiness power dementia risk, whether done reducing inflammation, boosting wide immune wellness oregon different factors,' she said.

'This survey could assistance uncover these mechanisms and supply insights into whether the vaccine whitethorn assistance hold the onset of dementia.'

At the moment, 2 doses of Shingrix are offered to adults who turned 65 aft September 1, 2023. 

Because of proviso issues, those who turned 65 earlier past go eligible lone erstwhile they crook 70. 

This has created an perfect script for research: 2 groups of radical of akin ages, 1 of which has received the jab portion the different has not.

Mr Wood said: 'The UK's unsocial national-scale wellness information resources supply a important accidental for cutting-edge research.'

Dr Richard Oakley, subordinate manager of probe and innovation astatine Alzheimer's Society said: 'The property cut-offs person produced a ample cohort of individuals whose information tin beryllium analysed similar a objective trial.'