An analysis of health outcomes for 1,271,922 people aged 50 and older found a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular disease among those who were vaccinated for shingles. The reduced risk was most noticeable up to eight years after vaccination among males, people under 60, and extended even to those with “unhealthy lifestyles,” such as chronic smoking or drinking, according to the study. 

Here’s a link to a CNN news story on the topic: 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/health/shingles-heart-disease-vaccine-shots-wellness 

And here’s a link to the original paper:  

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf230/8124786?redirectedFrom=fulltext  

Then, a new analysis of a vaccination program in Wales found that the shingles vaccine appeared to lower the relative risk of a new dementia diagnosis by up to 20%. This effect was stronger in women than in men. 

Here’s a link to a news story from Stanford University: 

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html  

And here’s a link to the original paper: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x  

What’s the takeaway message? As with all research studies, there are some limitations in terms of how conclusive the evidence is for the effects seen and how broadly applicable the results are. Nevertheless, vaccination against shingles is already generally recommended for adults over 50 years old. Given that there may be health benefits that extend beyond simply mitigating the risk of a shingles infection, Connect Health recommends all adults over 50 talk to their health care providers about getting vaccinated. It’s a simple way to help protect your health and longevity! 

*Full access to the paper by Lee et al. (2025) on cardiovascular risk reduction is not freely available to the public. Please email us if you would like a copy of the original paper.