Shingles vaccine lowers heart disease risk for up to eight years: study

By Stephen Beech

A shingles vaccine lowers the risk of a heart attack or stroke for up to eight years, according to new research.

People given a jab to protect against the painful rash illness have a 23% lower risk of potentially deadly cardiovascular events - also including heart failure, say scientists.

The findings come from a study involving more than 1.2 million people, published in the European Heart Journal.

Researchers found that the protective effect of the vaccine lasts for up to eight years and is particularly pronounced for men, people under the age of 60 and those with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and lack of exercise.

Study leader Professor Dong Keon Yon, of Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, South Korea, said: “Shingles causes a painful rash and can lead to serious complications, especially in older adults and those with weak immune systems.

"Previous research shows that, without vaccination, about 30% of people may develop shingles in their lifetime.

“In addition to the rash, shingles has been linked to a higher risk of heart problems, so we wanted to find out if getting vaccinated could lower this risk.”

The research team gathered data from 1,271,922 participants, aged 50 or older living in South Korea, from 2012 onwards.

It was established whether they received a shingle vaccine and that was combined with data on their heart health and data on other factors that can influence well-being - including age, sex, wealth and lifestyle.

The vaccine was a live zoster vaccine, meaning it contained a weakened form of the varicella zoster virus that causes shingles.

In many countries, that type of vaccine is now being replaced with a non-live, recombinant vaccine, meaning it contains a protein from the varicella zoster virus.

The study showed that among people who received the vaccine, there was a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events overall, with a 26% lower risk of "major" cardiovascular events - a stroke, heart attack or death from heart disease.

There was also a 26% lower risk of heart failure and a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease.

The protective effect was strongest in the two to three years after the shingles vaccine was given, but researchers found that the protection lasted for up to eight years.

Professor Yon said: “Our study suggests that the shingles vaccine may help lower the risk of heart disease, even in people without known risk factors.

"This means that vaccination could offer health benefits beyond preventing shingles.

“There are several reasons why the shingles vaccine may help reduce heart disease.

"A shingles infection can cause blood vessel damage, inflammation and clot formation that can lead to heart disease. By preventing shingles, vaccination may lower these risks.

"Our study found stronger benefits in younger people, probably due to a better immune response, and in men, possibly due to differences in vaccine effectiveness."

He added: “This is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies following a healthy general population over a period of up to 12 years.

"For 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 socio-economic status, making our findings more robust.

“However, as this study is based on an Asian cohort, the results may not apply to all populations.

"Since the live zoster vaccine is not suitable for everyone, more research on the recombinant vaccine is needed.

"While we conducted rigorous analysis, this study does not establish a direct causal relationship, so potential bias from other underlying factors should be considered.”

Prof Yon and his colleagues now plan to study the impact of the recombinant vaccine to see if it also has similar benefits for reducing heart disease.