Did you know that the shingles vaccine could help guard you against heart attacks and strokes? This might sound surprising, but a recent study found just that.
What Is Shingles?
Shingles, which causes an uncomfortable skin rash, is from the same virus that gives us chicken pox. Once you’ve had chicken pox, this sneaky virus can stay quiet in your body and come back as shingles years later.
This typically happens in older adults. And, as if the rash isn’t bad enough, a reactivated virus increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the first month after it wakes up.
If this happens in a specific nerve in the face, it can even double or triple the chance of a stroke.
The Power of the Vaccine
But there’s some good news. James Mbinta, the lead author of this study, says that the shingles vaccine could be our new best friend.
This vaccine doesn’t just protect us from the rash, it also cuts down the risk of heart attacks and strokes in the first 42 days after you get the shot.
To come to this conclusion, the researchers checked how many people went to the hospital in two time frames: the first 42 days after getting the vaccine and a later period between 72 and 162 days after vaccination.
They found that fewer people needed hospital care in that first period, suggesting that the vaccine cut the risk of stroke and heart attack by about half in the first six weeks.
The Numbers Speak
This conclusion comes from data about 278,375 adults in New Zealand who got the shot between 2018 and 2021.
Most of them were 70 years or older. So, it seems like this vaccine might be particularly helpful for older people.
Professor Colin Simpson, another researcher in the team, said their results line up with similar research from Australia. That study also found fewer strokes among adults aged 70 to 79 who got the shingles vaccine.
This isn’t the first time that the shingles vaccine has shown its power.
Earlier research by Mbinta found that the vaccine also lowers the risk of ending up in the hospital with nerve pain, which can be a nasty complication of shingles.
Wrapping It Up
To put it in context, about 1 in 3 people will get shingles during their lifetime, and this chance goes up as we age.
So, if you’re over 70 years old, getting this vaccine could mean protecting yourself not only from an uncomfortable rash but also from serious heart and brain problems.
Of course, every vaccine comes with its own benefits and risks, so it’s always a good idea to chat with your healthcare provider before making a decision.
If you care about health, please read studies about the benefits of low-dose lithium supplements, and what we know about egg intake and heart disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about potatoes and high blood pressure, and results showing 6 best breads for people with heart disease.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
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