Effects of herpes zoster infection, antivirals and vaccination on risk of developing dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a neurotropic virus. We aimed to evaluate the association of HZ infection, protective effects of antiviral treatment or vaccination on dementia. A systematic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL was performed from January 1, 1996, to October 31, 2024. Observational studies evaluating HZ infection, antivirals, or vaccination and dementia risk were selected. Risk of bias was examined with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, with the rate ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) being pooled for dementia. Presence of heterogeneity was assessed with I², and differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using subgroup meta-analysis and meta-reg

SUBMITTER: Marra F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12557717 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature