A natural experiment in 72,000 records
Older adults who received the newer shingles vaccine had a lower burden of heart disease than those who received the older one, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at health records from more than 72,000 people aged 60 and older, just over half of them women. In late 2017 the United States switched from Zostavax, a live-virus vaccine, to Shingrix, which is made from a single viral protein using recombinant DNA technology. Because the change happened quickly and for reasons unrelated to any person's health, the researchers could compare two similar groups and treat the switch as a natural experiment.
Over seven years of follow-up, people who received Shingrix were 9% less likely to develop a group of cardiovascular problems that included coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke.
Where the benefit showed up
The pattern was strongest for heart failure, with a 12% lower risk, followed by ischemic heart disease at 10% lower. Men who received Shingrix also had a 12% lower risk of ischemic stroke, while the difference for women was not statistically solid. Atrial fibrillation was 7% lower overall.
In absolute terms, the authors describe the effect as about one fewer cardiovascular event per 100 people over seven years. Older adults are advised to discuss vaccination with their doctors, especially if they already have heart conditions.
What comes next
The same Oxford group has already linked Shingrix to a lower risk of dementia and slower biological ageing, which has drawn interest from researchers who study inflammation and the immune system. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, which stays dormant in nerve tissue and can reactivate decades later, often causing severe pain.
The new findings are observational. The authors say randomised evidence is needed, and a Danish trial of about 162,000 people is expected to publish its first results in 2027. Until then, doctors say the heart signal is encouraging but not a reason to change vaccination guidelines on its own.