Getting a Shingles Vaccine Can Lower Your Heart Disease Risk—And Protect You For Up to 8 Years

We hear it all the time — vaccines will save lives. Whether it’s your yearly flu shot, preventing a round of the nasty illness, or one that you only get once in a lifetime, these vaccines can prevent you from getting diseases you definitely don’t want to cross paths with.

But now, researchers are finding that vaccines can prevent more than just the disease they are meant to combat. For example, it’s been found that getting the shingles vaccine can not only reduce your risk of contracting the actual shingles virus, but it can also lower your risk of getting heart disease.

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We often think of chickenpox as a children’s illness, but in reality, anyone can be affected. The virus can live dormant in your system for years only to flare up decades later as shingles, a painful rash that can be quite disruptive. In fact, Harrison Ford missed the 2025 Oscars after contracting shingles, according to […]

In a study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers discovered that those who were given an immunization for shingles had 23% less of a risk of contracting any sort of cardiovascular incident, for up to 8 years!

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These cardiovascular events can include a stroke, as well as coronary heart disease and heart failure. The researchers examined 1 million people aged 50+ throughout the study. The people who were particularly protected by the vaccine were men, people under the age of 60 and people who smoke, drink or aren’t regularly active.   

What the study found about the shingles vaccine & heart disease

The study on how a shingles vaccine can protect against heart disease was led by Kyung Hee University College of Medicine’s Professor Dong Keon Yon in Seoul, South Korea. He shared his thoughts on the research and why he believes the results are accurate. 

“A shingles infection can cause blood vessel damage, inflammation and clot formation that can lead to heart disease,” Professor Keon explained. “By preventing shingles, vaccination may lower these risks. Our study found stronger benefits in younger people, probably due to a better immune response, and in men, possibly due to differences in vaccine effectiveness.”

However, the vaccine examined was one that not everyone can take. The study used a live zoster immunization, which contains a weakened version of the virus that causes shingles. But because not everyone can take the live version, due to certain health conditions or weak immune systems, more research is required.

He added, “Since the live zoster vaccine is not suitable for everyone, more research on the recombinant vaccine is needed.”

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What is the link between shingles and heart disease?

You might be wondering how getting the shingles would affect your heart, and therefore, how getting the vaccine prevents heart disease? Everything is connected, and that includes infectious and chronic disease — such as shingles and heart disease.

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The virus that causes shingles is the same one that causes the chickenpox, something many people contract early in life. The virus then lies dormant in your body for years and as you get older, your immune system can become weaker, which can cause the virus to reactivate and result in shingles.

Thus, if you contract the shingles, it can affect other things in your body, including your heart. The inflammation caused by the disease can negatively impact your heart health, as well as other functions. 

Shingles vaccine: the wonder shot?

This isn’t the first time the shingles vaccine has been linked to surprising health benefits beyond preventing shingles. In fact, a previous study highlighted in Woman’s World revealed that the vaccine may also reduce the risk of developing dementia. Experts believe the link lies in the way the vaccine curbs inflammation and viral reactivation—two factors increasingly tied to cognitive decline. With growing evidence of its protective effects on both the brain and the heart, the shingles vaccine is proving to be a powerful tool for long-term wellness. Read more about the dementia connection here.