While we all know that getting a flu shot is good for you, in actuality, the matter of scheduling one and taking time out of your day can sometimes feel troublesome—especially when it seems flu season sometimes ends as soon as it begins. But now, new research suggests that getting a flu shot might offer long-lasting benefits beyond seasonal protection: It could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s. The observational study, which was published in the journal Neurology, found a link between high-dose flu shots and a lower relative risk of developing Alzheimer's.
It's a stretch to say that getting a high-dose flu shot will actually prevent dementia, but the findings join other research suggesting that staying on top of your vaccines—including the flu shot—could help to protect your brain in the long run. Here's what's behind this surprising link. Meet the experts: Jacinta Anyaoku, MD, family medicine physician and founder of Hibiscus Aesthetics & Wellness in Katy, Texas, and Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 165,000 older adults who received either a high-dose flu vaccine or a standard-dose flu vaccine.
The high-dose flu vaccine contains four times the antigen (the element that creates an immune response) of the standard-dose flu vaccine, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The high-dose flu vaccine is available to adults aged 65 and up. The researchers found that people who were 65 and older who got the high-dose vaccine had nearly a 55 percent lower relative risk of developing Alzheimer's disease over the two years they were tracked for the study.
It's important to stress that the study didn't prove that getting the flu shot caused the lowered risk of developing Alzheimer's disease—it just found a link. The study also focused on older adults, making it unclear if the potential benefits extend to younger people. Still, doctors say the findings are interesting.
Previous studies have linked the flu shot to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but this was the first to compare two groups that received different flu vaccine types, points out Jacinta Anyaoku, MD, family medicine physician and founder of Hibiscus Aesthetics & Wellness in Katy, Texas. "This is significant because it helps reduce 'healthy vaccine' bias, the idea that vaccinated people are more health-conscious and engaged in their care, which could influence outcomes," she says. "In this case, both groups were vaccinated, and the group that received the high-dose vaccine showed benefit." As for what drives this link, Dr.
Anyaoku says it could be tied to inflammation. "Influenza leads to inflammation, including neuroinflammation, which could predispose the brain to changes that make Alzheimer's more likely," she says. "Getting the vaccine reduces the risk of influenza infection and therefore the associated inflammation." The flu vaccine may also change the immune system that impacts a person's predisposition to developing Alzheimer's disease, Dr.
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