Vaccination against shingles could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease by a span of eight years.
Let's explore the bonuses beyond just shingles protection!
For those cracking the big five-oh, good news is in store - you can now receive the shingles vaccine. But hold on tight, because it seems this shot does more than shield you from shingles itself.
Research has shown that this vaccination may provide an additional 23% protection against heart diseases, including heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease. This protective benefit endures for a staggering eight years following vaccination.
"It's like hitting two birds with one stone," says Sooji Lee, MD, the mastermind behind this study. "Medical News Today chatted with her, and she revealed that shingles can inflame blood vessels, potentially triggering heart diseases. Preventing shingles infection might appear to reduce this inflammatory process, thus lowering the risk of heart problems."
Now, buckle up, because it gets even more intriguing. Studies hint at shingles vaccination potentially reducing the risk of dementia as well!
While shingles may seem like an isolated condition, it appears to have implications that extend beyond its immediate impact. Investigating the broader effects of shingles vaccination is crucial to unveiling its true potential.
"Shingles has traditionally been perceived as a mere infectious disease," Lee explains. However, she continues, previous research implies a possible link between shingles and chronic diseases such as heart conditions. This discovery underlines the importance of delving deeper into the broader impact of shingles vaccination.
Lee led a team that disclosed this fascinating link between the shingles vaccine and cardiovascular events. The study's findings were published in the European Heart Journal.
So, what exactly did this study entail? Researchers analyzed medical data from over 1.2 million folks aged 50 and over in South Korea. They determined if participants received the live zoster vaccine, a vaccine containing a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus. At the study's conclusion, they discovered that participants who received the vaccine had a 23% lower chance of experiencing any cardiovascular events, along with a 26% lower risk for significant cardiovascular events, such as stroke, heart attack, or death from heart disease.
Not only that, but the vaccine lowered a person's risk for heart failure by 26% and coronary heart disease by 22%.
"The fact that vaccination lowered the risk for heart disease by 23% in an almost healthy population indicates the vaccine's potential as a preventive measure against heart disease," Lee states.
The researchers also discovered that the vaccine's cardiovascular protective benefits last for up to eight years! And the most potent protection occurs within the first two to three years post-vaccination.
"Now that recombinant shingles vaccines are becoming more widespread andhave shown higher effectiveness, it's time to investigate their impact on cardiovascular outcomes," Lee advises.
So, what's the secret sauce behind the vaccine's cardiovascular protection? Lee speculates it could stem from shingles' ability to trigger inflammation in blood vessels, potentially leading to cardiovascular events. By preventing the shingles infection, the vaccine likely minimizes this inflammatory response, therefore mitigating heart disease risk.
- The shingles vaccine may offer protection against other heart diseases, such as heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease, providing an additional 23% defense.
- Studies suggest that the shingles vaccination might reduce the risk of dementia.
- Shingles has broader implications than just an infectious disease, potentially linking to chronic diseases like heart conditions.
- The study connecting shingles vaccination and cardiovascular events was led by Sooji Lee, MD, and the findings were published in the European Heart Journal.
- Researchers found that individuals who received the shingles vaccine had a 23% lower chance of experiencing any cardiovascular events.
- The vaccine lowered the risk for heart failure by 26% and coronary heart disease by 22%.
- The cardiovascular protective benefits of the shingles vaccine last for up to eight years, with the most potent protection occurring within the first two to three years post-vaccination.
- As recombinant shingles vaccines become more widespread and demonstrate higher effectiveness, it's crucial to investigate their impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
- The cardiovascular protection provided by the shingles vaccine may be due to shingles' ability to trigger inflammation in blood vessels, potentially leading to cardiovascular events, and the vaccine likely minimizes this inflammatory response, thus mitigating heart disease risk.
