Elizabeth Gomez, 54, of Huntington Park, right, receives a Prevnar and shingles vaccine by pharmacy manager Sandra Gonzalez at CVS in Huntington Park on August 28, 2024. Image credit: Christina House\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
One out of every three adultsTrusted Source<\/span><\/span>\u00a0around the world will develop\u00a0shingles\u00a0\u2014 a reactivation of the\u00a0varicella-zoster virusTrusted Source<\/span><\/span>. The varicella-zoster virus is the same virus that causes\u00a0chickenpox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Adults ages 50 and older can be\u00a0vaccinated\u00a0against shingles. The vaccine provides more than\u00a090% protectionTrusted Source<\/span><\/span>\u00a0against developing shingles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Past studies show that in addition to providing protection against shingles, the vaccine may also provide other health benefits, including a potentially lower risk for\u00a0dementiaTrusted Source<\/span><\/span>, as well as heart conditions such as\u00a0heart attack and strokeTrusted Source<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cShingles has traditionally been regarded as an infectious disease,\u201d\u00a0Sooji Lee, MD, researcher in the Center for Digital Health in the Medical Science Research Institute at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in South Korea, told\u00a0Medical News Today.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHowever, previous studies suggested an association between shingles and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease. This points to a potential link between infections and chronic diseases. This is why further investigation into the broader impact of shingles vaccination is essential,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lee is the first author of a new study that has found people who receive the shingles vaccine have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as\u00a0heart failure, stroke, and\u00a0coronary heart disease, with this protective benefit lasting for up to eight years post-vaccination.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n For this study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 1.2 million adults ages 50 or over living in South Korea from 2012 onward. Scientists determined whether or not participants received a\u00a0live zoster vaccine\u00a0for shingles, which contains a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the study\u2019s conclusion, researchers found that participants who received the shingles vaccine had a 23% lower chance of experiencing any cardiovascular events, as well as a 26% lower risk for any major cardiovascular event, such as stroke, heart attack, or death from heart disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scientists also found that the shingles vaccine lowered a person\u2019s risk for heart failure by 26% and coronary heart disease by 22%.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe finding that vaccination was associated with a 23% reduction in cardiovascular risk even in a previously healthy population highlights the potential of shingles vaccination as a preventive measure against heart disease,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n How the vaccine lowers disease risk<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cShingles can trigger inflammation in blood vessels, potentially leading to cardiovascular events. By preventing the shingles infection, the vaccine likely reduces this inflammatory response, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease.\u201d Additionally, Lee and her team found that the cardiovascular protective effects of the shingles vaccine last for as long as eight years. And the strongest protection occurred in the first two to three years after receiving the vaccine.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis suggests that the shingles vaccine provides a long-term protective effect on heart health, with the most significant benefits observed in the first two to three years post-vaccination,\u201d Lee explained. \u201cGiven that\u00a0recombinant shingles vaccines\u00a0are now more widely used and have shown higher effectiveness, our next step is to study their potential impact on cardiovascular outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies following a healthy general population over a period of up to 12 years, Dong Keon Yon, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Digital Health at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine in South Korea, and lead author of the study says in a\u00a0press release.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cFor the first time, this has allowed us to examine the association between shingles vaccination and 18 different types of cardiovascular disease. We were able to account for various other health conditions, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic status, making our findings more robust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Sooji Lee, MD<\/p>\n