There’s currently no cure for dementia. Although some recently developed drugs show promise in slowing the progress of the disease, these are both costly and may have limited benefit for many patients.

Several previous studies have suggested that shingles vaccinations might reduce dementia risk, but most could not exclude the possibility that people who get vaccinated might have other dementia-protective characteristics, like healthier lifestyles, better diets or more years of education.

The study suggested that cholesterol-lowering statins, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, also offered a boost in protection against dementia. Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance found in the blood. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) also known as “bad cholesterol” can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke if they are too high.

The shingles vaccine may have a protective effect against dementia, write doctors Christopher Worsham and Anupam Jena.

Stanford researchers found that adults who received the zoster vaccine for shingles have a lower risk of developing dementia. Experts discuss the public health impact.

Thankfully, a vaccine can prevent it. And scientists have recently realized that this vax could have an added perk beyond protecting you from this pesky infection: It may actually lower your risk of developing dementia.