Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds

The Shingrix vaccine, commonly used to prevent shingles, may offer a significant additional benefit by reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests. Researchers propose that the advantages of this two-dose vaccine could rival those of daily blood pressure medication.

The research, which analyzed health data from 70,000 individuals in the United States, indicated that those who received the Shingrix vaccine showed a 12% lower risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease over a period of three and a half years. Dr. Maxim Take, a clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, stated that if these findings are validated through clinical trials, the vaccination of older adults against shingles could prevent a substantial number of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure cases worldwide.

"This could be one of the most significant interventions we can offer to protect both the brain and the heart in older age. The effect could be enormous," Take commented. Herpes zoster, or shingles, is a painful condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in the body after chickenpox infection. It can lead to nerve pain that persists long after the rash subsides.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, compared cardiovascular disease rates among individuals vaccinated before and after the shift from the older Zostavax vaccine to Shingrix in the US in 2017. While the absolute risk reduction observed was relatively small, the potential cumulative impact on public health, particularly for older populations, could be substantial.

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This could be one of the most significant interventions we can offer to protect both the brain and the heart in older age. The effect could be enormous.