The New York Times (4/2, Belluck ) reports a study published in Nature “found that people who received the shingles vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia in the seven years afterward than those who were not vaccinated.” Compared to prior studies suggesting that shingles vaccinations might reduce dementia risk, this study was able to rule out “other dementia-protective characteristics, like healthier lifestyles, better diets or more years of education.” Overall, the results “provide some of the strongest evidence yet that some viral infections can have effects on brain function years later and that preventing them can help stave off cognitive decline.”

The AP (4/2, Neergaard ) reports the study “tracked people in Wales who were around 80 when receiving the world’s first-generation shingles vaccine over a decade ago.”

NBC News (4/2, Carroll ) reports that the “most important take-home message” from the study “is that getting vaccinated might lower the risk for dementia.” It is also possible “that the Food and Drug Administration could review research linking shingles vaccines to a lower risk of dementia and allow the drug company to add that indication to the label,” experts said.

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— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (4/1, Gotkine ) reports a study suggests that “a higher percentage of individuals who have psychostimulant involvement in synthetic opioid overdose deaths tend to work in physically demanding occupations and industries.” Researchers found that the “highest percentages of synthetic opioid overdose deaths co-involving psychostimulants with abuse potential (psychostimulants) occurred in occupation and industry groups that were typically physically demanding (e.g., construction and extraction occupations), while the highest percentages of cocaine co-involvement were seen in industries that were generally less physically strenuous (e.g., business and financial occupations).” They concluded, “These hypothesis-generating findings warrant confirmation but point to a potential role for work-related substance use and overdose prevention interventions.” The study was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Related Links:

— “Stimulant Involvement in Opioid OD Death Higher for Those in Physically Demanding Jobs,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, April 1, 2025

HealthDay (4/1, Gotkine ) reports that a study found that “the prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse and prescription stimulant use disorder (PSUD) is high among U.S. adults aged 18 to 64 years.” Researchers from the NIH observed “that 25.3 percent of those using prescription stimulants reported misuse and 9.0 percent had PSUD. Among those with PSUD, 72.9, 87.1, 42.5, and 63.6 percent solely used their own prescribed stimulants, used amphetamines, reported no misuse, and had mild PSUD, respectively.” Additionally, the study shows “women aged 35 to 64 years had the largest increase in the number of individuals dispensed prescription stimulants, from 1.2 million in quarter 1 of 2019 to 1.7 million in quarter 4 of 2022.” However, the “prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse was lower among women aged 35 to 64 years using these medications.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Prevalence of Prescription Stimulant Misuse High in U.S. Adults,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, April 1, 2025

The Washington Post (3/31) reports a recent study published in JAMA found that “from 2009 to 2019, avoidable mortality increased by an average of 33 deaths per 100,000 people across the United States.” In contrast, avoidable deaths “dropped by an average of nearly 23 deaths per 100,000 across all other countries in the study” during the same period, with European Union countries reducing avoidable deaths by an average of 25 per 100,000. The study noted significant state-by-state variations within the US, “ranging from five avoidable deaths in New York to 100 per 100,000 in West Virginia.” The rise in US deaths was primarily attributed to “external causes such as traffic accidents, homicides, suicides, and drugs and alcohol. Among external causes, drug-related deaths were responsible for 71 percent of the increase in avoidable deaths.” The study also observed a spike in avoidable mortality numbers from 2019 to 2021 across all examined regions, largely due to COVID-19.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HCPlive (3/31, Derman) reports, “A cross-sectional study found an association between discrimination and mental health across US adults.” About 31% of US adults have experienced at least one major incident of discrimination in their lifetime, with 63% facing discrimination daily. Marginalized groups “experienced more health issues linked to discrimination.” Researchers found that “depression rates rose from 10% to 23% in women and 5.5% to 22% in men (2013–2023). Anxiety rates increased from 8% to 31% in women and 5% to 24% in men (2018–2023). Among Black adults, depression rose from 9% in 2013 to 21% in 2023, while anxiety jumped from 6% in 2018 to 27% in 2023.” Although the study results “demonstrate that White adults experienced higher odds of positive screening results for depression with increasing levels of discrimination,”researchers concluded the finding “does not imply that exposure to discrimination is less significant for Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino, and other racial and ethnic populations.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Daily Discrimination’s Link to Depression, Anxiety Varies by Race,”Chelsie Derman, HCPlive, March 31, 2025