The True Post (Web News) — A new scientific study suggests that the shingles vaccine Shingrix may provide benefits beyond protecting against shingles, with researchers finding an association between vaccination and a lower risk of several serious cardiovascular conditions.
Researchers led by scientists from the University of Oxford examined medical records of more than 70,000 people aged 60 and older in the United States. They compared people who received Shingrix with those who had previously received the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax.
The findings showed that people who received Shingrix had about a 9% lower overall burden of cardiovascular disease over a seven-year period.
Greater Reduction During the First Three and a Half Years
The study found that the association between Shingrix vaccination and lower cardiovascular risk was particularly noticeable during the first three and a half years after vaccination.
Over the longer term, however, the protective association appeared to become weaker.
Researchers examined several cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Over seven years, people who received Shingrix had an approximately 10% lower burden of coronary artery disease and about a 12% lower burden of heart failure.
Possible Link to Heart Attack and Stroke
The findings also point to a possible relationship between shingles vaccination and serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
However, researchers stressed that the study does not prove that Shingrix directly prevents heart attacks or strokes.
Among men, Shingrix vaccination was associated with an approximately 12% lower risk of stroke, while researchers did not find a similarly significant reduction among women.
The study also found that vaccinated individuals had about a 7% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm.
Oxford Researchers Highlight Potential Benefits
Dr. Maxime Taquet of the University of Oxford, who led the research, said the findings are important because the potential benefits of shingles vaccination may extend beyond protection against shingles.
Researchers said that if future clinical trials confirm the findings, vaccination of older adults could potentially help prevent or delay a significant number of cases of coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure worldwide.
Study Compared New and Older Shingles Vaccines
One important feature of the research was that scientists did not simply compare vaccinated people with those who had never received a shingles vaccine.
Instead, researchers used the transition in the United States from the older Zostavax vaccine to the newer Shingrix vaccine as a type of natural experiment.
More than 36,000 people were included in each of the comparison groups. The approach was intended to reduce some of the differences that can exist between people who receive vaccines and those who do not.
The study was published in the medical journal Nature Medicine on August 26, 2026.
What Is Shingles?
Shingles is a painful condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox.
After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus can remain inactive in the nervous system for years. It can later become active again and cause shingles.
The condition typically causes a painful rash and blisters on one side of the body. In some people, nerve pain can continue even after the skin rash disappears.
Postherpetic Neuralgia Can Be a Serious Complication
One of the most recognized complications of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia.
People with this condition can continue to experience nerve pain in the affected area after the rash has disappeared. In some cases, the pain can last for months or even longer.
This is one reason shingles prevention is considered particularly important for older adults and certain people with specific medical conditions.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Shingrix for the prevention of shingles in adults aged 50 and older, as well as certain younger adults with specific medical conditions.
Scientists Urge Caution
Although the findings are encouraging, scientists emphasized that Shingrix should not currently be considered a treatment or medication specifically designed to prevent heart disease.
The Oxford-led research indicates that additional clinical trials are needed to determine whether the vaccine directly reduces cardiovascular risk or whether other factors explain the association observed in the study.
Researchers said randomized clinical trials would provide stronger evidence about whether Shingrix has a direct protective effect on cardiovascular health.
How Could the Vaccine Benefit the Heart?
Scientists do not yet know exactly why shingles vaccination might be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
One possibility is that shingles or reactivation of the virus can trigger inflammation in the body, potentially affecting blood vessels and the heart. Preventing shingles could therefore indirectly reduce some cardiovascular risks.
Another possibility is that the immune response produced by Shingrix may influence inflammatory processes that are involved in cardiovascular disease.
However, both explanations remain theoretical and require further research.
Potential Public Health Significance
Researchers say that confirming the cardiovascular benefits of Shingrix in future clinical trials could have significant public health implications.
Because shingles vaccination is already recommended or administered to large numbers of older adults, even a relatively modest reduction in cardiovascular risk could potentially prevent a substantial number of cardiovascular events at the population level.
For now, however, researchers emphasize that the strongest established benefit of Shingrix remains protection against shingles and its complications, while its potential cardiovascular benefits require further investigation.
