Getting shingles vaccine could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by 23 per cent | Study

A study by researchers from the Kyung Hee University's College of Medicine, South Korea, explored the link between shingles vaccine and cardiovascular diseases. 

The study published in the European Heart Journal, aimed to provide evidence at a population level, allowing the team to look at the link between vaccination and 18 different types of cardiovascular disease. 

Shingles, a viral infection that causes a painful rash can occur anywhere on the body. According to Mayo Clinic, it typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso. Vaccines can help in lowering the risk of shingles. 

The research looked at the data on shingles vaccination status from 2012 onwards and analysed it with cardiovascular health and lifestyle. The data of over 12 lakh residents of South Korea, aged at least 50 were analysed.

Through the research, it was found that people receiving the vaccine were at a 23 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular events overall- with a 26 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular events, including a stroke, heart attack or death, 26 per cent lower risk of heart failure and 22 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease.

The evidence adds to that provided by a recently published study in the Nature Journal, that looked at over 2,80,000 older adults in Wales in the UK, aged 71-88 years. The participants did not have dementia at the start of the shingles immunisation program in 2013. The nature study found that shingles vaccination reduced dementia risk by 20 per cent in the following seven years, with stronger effects seen in women, compared to men.

One's chances of developing the neurodegenerative disorder have been linked with 14 risk factors in a Lancet report published in August 2024, high blood pressure and cholesterol are among them.

"These findings suggest that live zoster vaccination may be beneficial as a public health strategy with potential implications for cardiovascular disease burden in the general population. This strategy may help address health disparities and mortality linked to cardiovascular complications," mentioned the study. 

Health