Shingles is a painful skin condition that many people don’t expect to face later in life. But for those who’ve had chickenpox as a child, the risk is very real.
That’s because shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Even after you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays hidden in your body, quietly waiting.
Years later, especially in older adults, it can wake up and show up again as shingles.
Shingles usually starts with a tingling or burning feeling on the skin. Then, a rash appears that can be very painful and last for weeks. While shingles itself is unpleasant, a recent study has found that it might also lead to even more serious health problems.
According to this new research, the risk of having a heart attack or stroke can rise in the month after shingles appears. If the virus comes back in a nerve near the face, the risk of stroke can double or even triple.
These findings have made scientists take a closer look at the shingles vaccine, and what they found is promising. The vaccine, usually given to adults over 50 or 60, is already known to prevent the painful rash. But now, researchers believe it may also protect people from heart attacks and strokes.
The study was led by James Mbinta and looked at health data from nearly 280,000 adults in New Zealand who got the shingles vaccine between 2018 and 2021. Most of the people in the study were over 70 years old.
The scientists looked at how many of them ended up in the hospital for heart problems or strokes within the first 42 days after getting the shot. Then they compared that with hospital visits that happened later on.
What they found was striking. The number of hospital visits for heart attacks and strokes was much lower in the first few weeks after getting the vaccine.
In fact, the risk of these serious health problems seemed to drop by almost half during that early period. This means the vaccine may offer more than just protection from a rash—it might also help keep your heart and brain safe.
Another researcher, Professor Colin Simpson, said that their results were similar to what scientists found in Australia. There, older adults who got the shingles vaccine also had fewer strokes.
And this isn’t the first time the vaccine has shown extra benefits. A previous study by Mbinta found that the vaccine helped reduce the risk of a painful nerve condition that can happen after shingles.
Shingles is more common than you might think. About one in three people will get it at some point in their lives, and the risk goes up with age. That’s why health experts often recommend the shingles vaccine for older adults.
Like all vaccines, it’s important to talk with your doctor before getting it. They can help you understand the benefits and any risks based on your personal health. But this study adds to growing evidence that the shingles vaccine could be a powerful tool—not just for preventing skin pain, but also for protecting your overall health.
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