Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds
August 27, 2026
A study published in Nature Medicine found that adults age 60 and older who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine had a 12% lower relative risk of cardiovascular events: including heart attacks, heart failure and strokes: during the first three and a half years after vaccination compared with those who received the older Zostavax vaccine.
The researchers analyzed health records from roughly 70,000 people over seven years. Shingrix recipients spent about 9% more time free of cardiovascular disease, although the difference narrowed over time. The study was observational, meaning it shows an association rather than proving the vaccine caused the reduction. Researchers say randomized clinical trials are still needed.
For neighbors, the immediate takeaway is familiar preventive care: ask a healthcare professional whether you are due for Shingrix, and continue managing blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and tobacco use. The vaccine’s approved purpose remains preventing shingles and its complications: not treating heart disease. Brownstone’s health coverage offers additional practical wellness context.
That prevention message applies well before retirement age. An American Heart Association study found nearly 80% of 1,283 young adults, average age 23, met criteria for early cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic risk. Higher-risk participants showed thicker carotid artery walls, an early marker of arterial injury.
If smoking is part of your health picture, the latest Cochrane review found nicotine e-cigarettes helped more adults quit for at least six months than traditional nicotine-replacement therapy. They are not risk-free and are intended for adults who smoke: not nonsmokers.
Small steps: vaccination conversations, routine screenings, movement, healthier meals and quitting tobacco: can add up. What preventive habit is your household prioritizing this month?
Sources: The Guardian · Nature · American Heart Association · Cochrane
