Shingles Vaccine May Reduce Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

New research suggests the Shingrix shingles vaccine may reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure. Here is what the study found and what it means.

A new study has found a potential link between the Shingrix shingles vaccine and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

Researchers analysing health records from around 70,000 adults aged 60 and over found that people who received the newer two-dose Shingrix vaccine had a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular events during the first three and a half years after vaccination compared with those who received the older shingles vaccine.

The findings have attracted attention because heart disease and stroke remain among the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. However, researchers stress that the results are observational and do not yet prove that the shingles vaccine directly prevents heart attacks or strokes.

What is Shingrix?

Shingrix is a vaccine designed to protect against shingles, a painful condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chickenpox.

After someone has chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in the nervous system for years or decades. It can later become active again, causing shingles. The condition commonly produces a painful rash, but some people develop long-lasting nerve pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia.

Shingrix uses recombinant vaccine technology and replaced the older Zostavax vaccine in many countries because it provides stronger protection against shingles.

In the UK, shingles vaccination is being introduced through a phased programme for eligible older adults. Eligibility and rollout arrangements can change, so people should check current NHS guidance or speak with a healthcare professional.

What did the new study discover?

The research, led by scientists including Dr Maxime Taquet of the University of Oxford, examined health records covering approximately 70,000 adults aged 60 and above.

Rather than simply comparing people who were vaccinated with those who were never vaccinated, researchers looked at the transition from the older Zostavax vaccine to Shingrix in the United States.

This approach helped researchers investigate whether the newer recombinant vaccine was associated with different cardiovascular outcomes.

According to the study, people who received Shingrix experienced a 12% reduction in cardiovascular events over the first three and a half years compared with the comparison group. These cardiovascular outcomes included conditions such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

By the end of the longer follow-up period, the association was smaller, with Shingrix linked to approximately a 4% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The research was published in Nature Medicine.

Could a shingles vaccine protect the heart?

The study does not establish exactly why Shingrix might be associated with better cardiovascular health.

One possible explanation involves the relationship between shingles and cardiovascular disease. Previous research has suggested that shingles may temporarily increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. If preventing shingles also reduces this additional risk, vaccination could indirectly contribute to better heart health.

Another possibility is that vaccination could influence the immune system in ways that affect inflammation.

Inflammation plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. Persistent inflammation can contribute to changes in blood vessels and the development or progression of atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty deposits build up inside arteries.

Researchers are continuing to investigate these possible mechanisms.

Is the shingles vaccine as effective as blood pressure medicine?

The researchers have suggested that, if the findings are confirmed in randomised clinical trials, the potential cardiovascular benefit could be comparable with the effect of some blood pressure-lowering medicines.

That comparison should be treated cautiously.

The study does not show that Shingrix is a replacement for blood pressure medication, cholesterol treatment, exercise, a healthy diet or other established methods of reducing cardiovascular risk.

Instead, the comparison is intended to illustrate the possible size of the effect observed in the research.

More research is needed before doctors could consider cardiovascular protection as an established benefit of shingles vaccination.

Why are further clinical trials important?

One of the biggest limitations of the research is that it was based on health records rather than a randomised controlled trial specifically designed to test cardiovascular protection.

Observational studies can identify important associations, but they cannot always rule out other explanations.

For example, people who receive particular vaccines may differ from those who do not in ways that are difficult to measure completely. Researchers can adjust for many factors, but unknown or unmeasured differences can still affect results.

A randomised controlled trial would provide stronger evidence because participants could be randomly assigned to different treatment groups and followed under controlled conditions.

Researchers say several trials are now under way or being developed that could provide more definitive evidence about whether recombinant shingles vaccines have a direct protective effect on the cardiovascular system.

What does this mean for older adults?

The main purpose of Shingrix remains protection against shingles and its complications.

The possibility of an additional cardiovascular benefit is promising, but it should not currently be considered a proven reason to receive the vaccine.

People who are eligible for shingles vaccination should discuss it with their GP, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional, particularly if they have questions about their personal circumstances.

It is also important not to stop prescribed cardiovascular medicines because of these findings. Blood pressure medication, cholesterol-lowering treatment and other therapies have established roles in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

A potentially important discovery

The new findings add to growing scientific interest in the relationship between infections, vaccination and long-term cardiovascular health.

If future randomised trials confirm that Shingrix directly lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, the implications could be significant. Shingles vaccination is already aimed at preventing a painful and sometimes debilitating infection. A confirmed cardiovascular benefit could provide an additional public health advantage, particularly among older adults who are at greater risk of both shingles and cardiovascular disease.

For now, however, the most accurate conclusion is that Shingrix has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in this large observational study, but more evidence is required to establish cause and effect.

Source

The Guardian published on 26 August 2026 and the research published in Nature Medicine.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for general information and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis or a recommendation to start, stop or change any medication or vaccination. The study described is observational and does not prove that the Shingrix vaccine directly prevents heart attacks or strokes. Speak with a GP, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional for advice about shingles vaccination and your individual health needs.