Shingles Vaccine Shingrix Linked to Significantly Lower Heart Disease Risk in Large Study

A large study published in the BMJ found that people who received the recombinant shingles vaccine Shingrix had a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who got the older live vaccine Zostavax. The research, based on records of 70,000 people in the US over seven years, showed a 9% decrease in overall cardiovascular burden, including a 10% reduction in ischemic heart disease. The findings add to growing evidence that Shingrix may have protective effects beyond preventing shingles, including lower dementia and heart disease risk.

Key Takeaways

A large study published in the BMJ found that people who received the recombinant shingles vaccine Shingrix had a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who got the older live vaccine Zostavax.
The research, based on records of 70,000 people in the US over seven years, showed a 9% decrease in overall cardiovascular burden, including a 10% reduction in ischemic heart disease.
The findings add to growing evidence that Shingrix may have protective effects beyond preventing shingles, including lower dementia and heart disease risk.

AI synthesis4 sources4

A large new study has found that the recombinant shingles vaccine Shingrix is associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease, adding to growing evidence that the vaccine may offer benefits well beyond preventing shingles. The research, published in the BMJ, was based on records of approximately 70,000 people in the United States who were tracked over seven years. It compared outcomes for people who received Shingrix against those who received the older live vaccine Zostavax. The results were striking: those who received Shingrix had a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular events overall. The study found a 9% decrease in overall cardiovascular burden over the seven-year period, including a 10% reduction in ischemic heart disease. Some analyses suggested even larger benefits, with one finding that Shingrix may reduce the one-year risk of serious cardiac events by up to half in older adults with existing heart disease. The findings join a rapidly growing body of evidence suggesting that Shingrix has systemic health benefits. Earlier research from the same Oxford-led team had already linked the vaccine to a lower risk of dementia. The new cardiovascular data adds another dimension to the vaccine's potential protective effects. Shingrix works differently from the older Zostavax: it uses a recombinant protein rather than a live virus, which generates a stronger and more targeted immune response. Scientists believe this enhanced immune activation may help reduce chronic inflammation, a key driver of both heart disease and cognitive decline. The study's authors noted that most Americans over 50 who are eligible for the shingles vaccine have not yet received it. Given the additional cardiovascular and neurological benefits now emerging, they suggested that the case for vaccination may be even stronger than previously thought.