Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42646702›Full record

ReviewVaccines2026

Association Between Herpes Zoster Vaccination and Dementia Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Qing Zhang, Quanman Hu, Yaming Wei, Jun Li, Shuaiyin Chen

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Vaccines, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Qing ZhangCollege of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
Quanman HuCollege of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4250-9713
Yaming WeiHuaiyang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoukou 466700, China.
Jun LiHenan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhengzhou 450016, China.
Shuaiyin ChenCollege of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6129-0310

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesDementia represents a major global health challenge, and preventive strategies remain limited. Observational studies have suggested a possible association between herpes zoster vaccination (HZV) and dementia risk, although the influence of vaccine type and dose regimen remains unclear.

methodsPubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched through January 2026. The primary random-effects meta-analysis included one adjusted estimate per independent study or data-source cluster. Quasi-experimental and correlated secondary estimates were reported separately, and alternative-estimate and leave-one-out analyses retained independent statistical units. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261326042).

resultsFourteen reports representing 13 studies were included. HZV was associated with a lower dementia risk in the primary analysis of five independent data sources (ratio estimate = 0.72; 95%

conclusionsHZV was associated with lower dementia risk in observational studies, with directionally consistent quasi-experimental findings. Direct evidence suggested potentially stronger inverse associations for RZV and complete vaccination, but was based on few independent data sources. Substantial heterogeneity and residual confounding preclude causal interpretation, and further prospective or randomized evidence is needed.

Indexed as

dementiaherpes zoster vaccinationmeta-analysisolder adultsrecombinant zoster vaccine

Identifiers

PMID42646702
PMCPMC13517738

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.