The shingles vaccine is intended to prevent shingles, a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, also known as herpes zoster — but a new study suggests that it could have major secondary benefits.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified a potential link between the shingles vaccine and a reduced risk of developing vascular dementia.
The vaccine has also been associated with a significant decreased risk of cardiovascular events and death in people 50 and older.
Experts presented the findings last week at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, the site of IDWEEK 2025, a joint annual meeting of the leading infectious disease professional societies in the U.S.
The study authors examined health records from 174,000 adults in the U.S. They followed participants who received the vaccination over a span of three months up to seven years.
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Participants who received the shingles vaccine had about half the risk of developing vascular dementia.
They also had a 25% lower risk of heart attack or stroke, a 27% lower risk of blood clots and a 21% lower risk of death, according to a news release from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
"Our study findings show that the shingles vaccine may help lower those risks, especially in people already at higher risk for heart attack or stroke," presenting author Ali Dehghani, a doctor of internal medicine at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, said in the IDSA report.
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Shingles is a red, blistery, painful rash caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox. The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox. It can become activated in later years, causing shingles, health experts told Fox News Digital.
The condition can lead to cardiovascular and neurologic complications, previous studies have shown.
Shingles affects one out of three Americans, and more than 99% of those born before 1980 have had chicken pox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Shingles is more than just a rash — it can raise the risk of serious problems for the heart and brain," Dehghani said in the news release.
These latest findings build on past studies that indicate the vaccine may help protect individuals against shingles and related complications, according to infectious disease experts.
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"This very interesting study … supported prior evidence that the shingles vaccine may offer several benefits for general health, including against the development of dementia, in addition to preventing the very painful and common illness know as shingles," Dr. Aaron Glatt, a spokesperson for the ISDA and a board-certified infectious disease physician at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York, told Fox News Digital.
Although these findings are "very exciting and potentially clinically important," Glatt — who was not involved in the study — noted that it’s not yet proven that these benefits are due to the shingles vaccine.
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There are a number of possible mechanisms that could contribute to this association, including decreased inflammation, the doctor pointed out.
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While more studies are needed, Glatt said, "It is very comforting to know that the shingles vaccine is certainly associated with overall significant health benefits beyond its intended purpose."
The CDC recommends two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) to prevent shingles and related complications in adults aged 50 years and older, as well as for adults aged 19 and older who are or will be immunodeficient or immunosuppressed.
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