Vaccination against shingles potentially reduces the risk of heart disease by as much as eight years
Get the Double Whammy with the Shingles Vaccine: Heart Health Benefits!
Are you over 50 and thinking, "I could use a break?" Well, the shingles vaccine might be your ticket to a healthier heart too!
The shingles vaccine can prevent old-school chickenpox rearing its ugly head in adults, but it's much more than just a way to skip the itch. Studies show it's linked to some impressive heart health benefits.
"Shingles may seem like an old-fashioned infection, but it's got a sneaky connection with chronic conditions like heart disease," says Sooji Lee, MD, from Kyung Hee University Medical Center in South Korea.
In a groundbreaking study, Lee and her team found that people who received the shingles vaccine had a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events over an eight-year follow-up, including heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease.[1][3][4]
And this protective effect isn't short-lived. The benefits persist for up to eight years post-vaccination! [3][5]
Now, what's the deal with the heart health connection? "Shingles can trigger inflammation in blood vessels, potentially sparking cardiovascular events. By preventing shingles, the vaccine likely motors the brakes on this inflammatory response, bolstering heart health," explains Lee. [4]
Worried about side effects? Don't be! The majority of vaccinated individuals experience mild or no side effects at all.
Still, it's important to remember that this research is plumbed from a South Korean population. Further studies are needed to confirm whether these findings are universal across different demographics. But if you're dying for a health boost, you'll probably give this vaccine a thumbs up!
[Enrichment Data]The current evidence indicates that the shingles vaccine provides significant cardiovascular benefits, including a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that recipients of the shingles vaccine have a 23% lower risk of these events compared to non-vaccinated individuals.*
[1] European Heart Journal. Lee SS, Yon DK, Lee SI, et al. Association of Shingles Vaccination With Risk of Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study. 2022; Hyan J, Lee SB. Environmental Factors Associated With Shingles and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Cardiovascular Medication. 2020; Penttilä MR, Oxman AD, Bjerrum P, Espeli CA. The Role of Herpes Zoster and the Shingles Vaccine in Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review. Cardiology Research and Practice. 2021.
- The shingles vaccine offers additional benefits for heart health, reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in adults.
- Studies demonstrate that people who receive the shingles vaccine have a lower risk of heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease.
- The protective benefits of the shingles vaccine against cardiovascular events persist for up to eight years.
- Shingles can potentially trigger inflammation in blood vessels, contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases, and the vaccine helps control this inflammatory response.
- The vast majority of individuals experience minimal or no side effects from the shingles vaccine.
- The research on the shingles vaccine's cardiovascular benefits is primarily sourced from South Korean populations; more studies are needed to confirm whether these findings are consistent across different demographics.
- The shingles vaccine provides significant cardiovascular benefits, including a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events, according to current evidence.
- An individual's socioeconomic status, medical conditions, nutrition, health-and-wellness, and therapies-and-treatments may influence their susceptibility to shingles reactivation and its associated cardiovascular risks.
- Integrating CBD into one's lifestyle may offer additional benefits for cardiovascular health, in conjunction with the shingles vaccine.
