Vaccination against shingles could potentially extend heart disease-free lifespan by up to eight years.
Here's a rewritten version of the article:
Shingles Vaccine May Offer Double Benefit: Protection from Shingles and Lower Heart Disease Risk
Getting vaccinated against shingles can do more than just protect you from the painful and debilitating condition. New research suggests that it might also lower your risk for heart disease.
People aged 50 and above can get vaccinated against shingles. The vaccine offers more than just shielding you from shingles – it could potentially reduce your chances of experiencing cardiovascular events, such as heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease, by up to 23%.
That's according to a recent study led by Sooji Lee, MD at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in South Korea. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, analyzed medical data from over 1.2 million South Korean adults aged 50 and above. The findings revealed that those who received the live zoster vaccine for shingles had a lower risk for any cardiovascular events, as well as a lower risk for major cardiovascular events.
Specifically, recipients of the shingles vaccine had a 23% reduced chance for any cardiovascular events and a 26% lower risk for heart failure. They also had a 22% lower risk for coronary heart disease. As a result, the study highlighted the potential of the shingles vaccine as a preventive measure against heart disease.
However, Lee noted that this protective effect lasted for up to eight years, with the strongest protection observed in the first two to three years after vaccination. For this reason, she and her team are planning to study the potential impact of newer, more effective recombinant shingles vaccines on cardiovascular outcomes.
Lee explained that shingles can trigger an inflammation in blood vessels that could potentially lead to cardiovascular events. By preventing the shingles infection, the vaccine likely reduces this inflammatory response, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease.
Additional insights:
According to a recent analysis, the protective effects of the shingles vaccine appear to be more pronounced among men, people under 60, and those with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and being inactive.
The study's lead author, Dong Keon Yon, MD, PhD, emphasized that the results may not apply to all populations. While the researchers conducted rigorous analysis, it's essential to consider the possibility of other underlying factors contributing to the observed effects.
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, saw the findings as further evidence supporting the importance of vaccinating eligible patients against shingles. By preventing varicella-zoster infection, the shingles vaccine would lower the risk of cardiovascular events caused by the virus.
Grant Simons, MD, chief of Heart Rhythm Services at Hackensack University Medical Center, saw the research's findings as surprising yet compelling. Despite being an observational study, its size and results provide strong evidence for the cardiovascular benefits of the shingles vaccine.
- The shingles vaccine, beyond shielding you from the painful condition, may potentially reduce the chances of experiencing cardiovascular events by up to 23%.
- People aged 50 and above can get vaccinated against shingles, and the benefits extend beyond just protection from shingles; it might lower the risk for heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease.
- The research, led by Sooji Lee, highlights the potential of the shingles vaccine as a preventive measure against heart disease.
- For recipients of the shingles vaccine, there's a 23% reduced chance for any cardiovascular events and a 26% lower risk for heart failure.
- The study also suggests a 22% lower risk for coronary heart disease after receiving the shingles vaccine.
- Newer, more effective recombinant shingles vaccines could have a significant impact on cardiovascular outcomes in the future.
- Shingles can trigger an inflammation in blood vessels that might lead to cardiovascular events, and by preventing the shingles infection, the vaccine likely reduces this inflammatory response, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease.
- The protective effects of the shingles vaccine appear to be more pronounced among certain populations, such as men, people under 60, and those with unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, and being inactive.
