New York Times - Top Stories

Dana G. Smith

One exciting — and surprising — development in dementia prevention in recent years is the shingles vaccine. A number of studies have suggested that it lowers the risk of dementia by about 20 percent.

Dana G. Smith

There’s often a question of correlation versus causation with this type of research. But the way the shingles vaccine was rolled out gives scientists confidence that the vaccine itself is offering some protection.

Dana G. Smith

On the flip side, many studies have shown that antihistamines are associated with an increased risk of the disease. They work by blocking the activity of a neurochemical that is important for attention and memory.

Dana G. Smith

In total, I looked into 10 common drugs that have been tied to dementia. For some medications, there may actually be something biological going on to cause the association.

Dana G. Smith

With others, it may just be a correlation: The connection could be due to other health-related behaviors, underlying medical conditions or just incomplete data.