A study has found that vaccination with the shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The vaccine does not directly prevent cardiovascular disease, but it is analyzed that it lowers cardiovascular risk indirectly by preventing shingles, which can lead to vascular damage, thrombus formation, and inflammation.
The research team led by Yondong Geon, deputy director of Kyunghee University Medical Center Digital Health Center, noted on the 6th that "those who received the shingles vaccines Zostavax or Sky Zoster at least once had a 26% lower risk of dying from heart disease or experiencing a stroke, myocardial infarction, or heart failure." The study observed more than 1 million people and was published that day in the international journal "European Heart Journal."
Shingles is a neurological disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. When infected with the virus in childhood, it results in chickenpox characterized by blisters all over the body, and when the dormant virus reactivates in adulthood, shingles appears as a band-like rash on the skin. The rash gradually turns into blisters and causes pain. The pain experienced from shingles is known to be comparable to that of childbirth.
The research team explained that "shingles is known to cause inflammation in the vascular system, and the vaccine can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing infection."
Cardiovascular disease is generally not included in the list of complications of shingles. However, it is known in academia that shingles increases the risk of stroke by about 30% and the risk of heart attack by approximately 10%. The risk is especially high within the first year after infection.
To determine whether this issue can be alleviated through vaccination, the research team analyzed data from 1,271,922 Koreans aged 50 and older. They compared the occurrence of shingles vaccination and subsequent 18 types of cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, stroke, thrombosis, arrhythmia, ischemia, etc.). Health-related factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, exercise level, and social habits were also considered.
According to the research team, the preventive effect of the vaccine on cardiovascular disease lasts for up to 8 years, especially showing marked effectiveness in men and those under 60 years old. Vaccinated individuals had a 23% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who were not vaccinated.
The risk for vaccinated individuals of specific diseases, such as heart disease death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, was 26% lower. The risk of coronary artery disease was 22% lower. The most significant effects were observed between 2 and 3 years after vaccination, gradually decreasing over the following 5 years.
Between genders and age groups, the risk reduction rate for men was analyzed at 27%, while for women it was 20%. The reduction rate for those under 60 was 27%, greater than the 16% reduction for those aged 60 and older. Rural residents showed a risk reduction rate of 25%, compared to 20% for urban residents. Low-income groups saw a 26% reduction, while high-income groups experienced a 20% reduction. Among the obese, a higher body mass index (BMI) seemed to reduce the effectiveness slightly.
Galen Foulke, a professor at Penn State University in the U.S., stated that "this study further reinforces the belief that the shingles vaccine reduces cardiovascular disease risk by suppressing vascular inflammation," adding that "the global health system could significantly reduce medical costs associated with cardiovascular disease through the relatively inexpensive shingles vaccine."
The reason the research team analyzed Zostavax and Sky Zoster vaccinations is that they have been used longer than the recently launched protein-based vaccine "Shingrix," providing more long-term data. The research team stated that "since Shingrix is expected to have superior shingles prevention effects, it is anticipated to have stronger cardiovascular protection effects as well."
References
European Heart Journal (2025) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf230