The shingles vaccine is best known for preventing a painful viral infection, but a growing body of research is raising another intriguing possibility: could preventing shingles also help protect cardiovascular health? Scientists are investigating the connection as evidence increasingly links shingles infections with elevated risks of heart attack and stroke.
Why Shingles May Affect the Heart
Shingles occurs when the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, becomes reactivated later in life. Research suggests that the virus may contribute to inflammation and blood-vessel damage. The American Heart Association reports that people with a history of shingles have experienced nearly a 30% higher risk of a future cardiovascular event in large observational research.
A separate review of 155 studies published in 2025 found that people who had shingles had higher long-term risks of heart attack and stroke, further strengthening interest in the relationship between viral infections and cardiovascular disease. American Heart Association research coverage notes that inflammation and blood clotting may contribute to these risks.
Could Vaccination Reduce That Risk?
This is where the research becomes particularly interesting. Earlier research involving an older shingles vaccine found an association with approximately a 16% lower stroke risk. However, researchers emphasized that additional studies were needed to determine whether the newer recombinant vaccine provides similar cardiovascular protection. American Heart Association findings provide important context.
Recent evidence from the American Heart Association links shingles vaccination to lower risks of stroke and heart attack. However, much of this evidence is observational. That means it can show an association, but it can’t by itself prove that vaccination directly prevents heart attacks or strokes. Professional Heart Daily discusses the current evidence.
The Primary Reason to Get Vaccinated
It is important not to overstate the discovery. The shingles vaccine is currently recommended primarily because it prevents shingles and its complications, rather than as a cardiovascular treatment.
According to the CDC, Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia in healthy adults aged 50 and older. The CDC recommends two doses for adults 50 and older, as well as adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems.
What the Research Could Mean
The emerging heart-health connection adds another reason for scientists to study shingles prevention. If future research confirms vaccination reduces cardiovascular events, it could become an added benefit of preventing viral reactivation.
For now, however, the evidence supports a more measured conclusion: preventing shingles is already valuable, and vaccination may potentially offer cardiovascular benefits that researchers are still working to establish. Anyone considering vaccination should discuss individual eligibility and medical circumstances with a healthcare professional.
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