Getting the shingles vaccine could lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke by as much as 20%, according to the first study of its kind.
Shingles is a common condition affecting millions worldwide that causes a painful rash and can lead to serious problems such as deafness, long-lasting pain and blindness. It is more likely to cause serious problems in older age groups.
Most countries tend to only recommend the vaccine to older people or immunosuppressed adults but the findings suggest it could have cardiovascular protective effects in adults as young as 18.
The results from the study, the world’s first global systematic review and meta analysis, shows the jab is associated with a significant lower risk of cardiovascular events.
Having the shingles jab was associated with an 18% lower risk of stroke or heart attack in adults 18 and above. There was a 16% reduction in risk of cardiovascular events in adults 50 or older.
The data will be presented this weekend to thousands of cardiologists at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Madrid, the world’s largest cardiology conference.
Dr Charles Williams, the study’s author and global associate medical director at GSK, said: “We looked at the currently available evidence, and found that in this analysis, vaccination against herpes zoster was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes.
“Further research studies are now needed to find out whether this association can be attributed to an effect of herpes zoster vaccination.”
The global systematic review was conducted using three scientific literature databases, and a meta analysis was conducted of phase 3 randomised controlled trials and observational studies assessing the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on cardiovascular events.
The shingles jab is usually just taken once, and is typically administered in two doses, several months apart.
In total, 19 studies were included in the review. Eight observational studies and one randomised controlled trial met the inclusion criteria for studying the impact of the jab on cardiovascular events.
Vaccination is increasingly been seen as an effective measure not only against specific infections, but also for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or events.
Prof Filippo Crea, a cardiology professor at the Catholic University in Rome, who was not involved with the study, said: “These results support a growing body of evidence … which indicates that vaccinations reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Prof Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, also not involved with the research, welcomed the findings but said further research was needed.
He said: “There is great interest in studies suggesting the shingles vaccine may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, although this analysis is largely based on observational studies, which cannot demonstrate cause and effect.
“We know that shingles can cause inflammation in the body, and that inflammation is a culprit in many heart and circulatory conditions which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
“By preventing shingles, vaccination could therefore be protective. But far more research is needed, especially to understand the intriguing results in younger people. More evidence will be needed before the shingles vaccine can be recommended for a wider age group.”
The findings came as NHS England said 300,000 more people would become eligible for the shingles jab from next week.
People eligible from 1 September are those between 18 and 49 with a severely weakened immune system. The NHS previously expanded eligibility to include people over 50 with a severely weakened immune system.