Researchers from Oxford University have identified an association between the Shingrix shingles vaccine and reduced cardiovascular risk in a study published in Nature Medicine. The analysis examined electronic health records from a network of 60 health systems, comparing approximately 72,000 vaccinated individuals aged 60 and older who received either Shingrix or the older Zostavax vaccine around the time of Shingrix’s U.S. approval in October 2017.
After tracking patients for seven years, those who received Shingrix showed a 9% lower overall cardiovascular burden compared to Zostavax recipients. The reduction encompassed coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. Specifically, coronary heart disease cases decreased by 10%, heart failure by 12%, and strokes by 12% in men, though the stroke reduction was not statistically significant in women. Atrial fibrillation cases were 7% lower across all participants. In absolute terms, these relative risk reductions translated to approximately 1% fewer cardiovascular events after seven years.
Researchers acknowledged that while the individual benefits appear modest, the potential population-level impact could be substantial given millions of people receive shingles vaccination annually. Mark Russell, a clinical senior lecturer and consultant rheumatologist at King’s College London, noted that even small cardiovascular benefits could prevent a considerable number of events across populations. Study authors emphasized that despite using a natural experiment design to address certain research limitations, the findings remain observational and require confirmation through randomized controlled trials.
Scientists can only speculate about the mechanism behind Shingrix’s apparent cardiovascular protection. The recombinant vaccine may induce trained immunity, triggering immune system changes that affect proteins called cytokines, which influence cells lining blood vessel walls. The vaccine’s adjuvant AS01, absent in Zostavax, may contribute to these protective effects through epigenetic changes that reduce inflammatory responses associated with cardiovascular disease. The DAN ZOSTER study in Denmark, involving approximately 162,000 participants, is expected to provide first results next year to test these hypotheses through randomized methodology.
This cardiovascular finding follows earlier research linking Shingrix to lower dementia rates, adding to growing evidence that the vaccine may protect multiple organ systems. External experts expressed enthusiasm about the results while noting the need for stronger causal evidence from rigorous clinical trials before drawing firm conclusions about the vaccine’s cardioprotective mechanisms and broader applications beyond current age-restricted vaccination programs.
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