A research team led by Professor Dong-Geon Yeon from the College of Medicine at Kyung Hee University has become the first in the world to demonstrate that live zoster vaccination (shingles vaccine) can help prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in the body after childhood infection with chickenpox. It typically occurs when immunity weakens, with particularly high incidence among people over the age of 50. Experts around the world recommend vaccination for this age group.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the cardiovascular complications—such as myocardial infarction and stroke—that may occur following shingles. Numerous studies have reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease after shingles. However, there has been a lack of definitive evidence showing whether the shingles vaccine can reduce this risk.
Professor Yeon’s team built a large-scale healthcare big data cohort consisting of approximately 2.2 million South Korean individuals aged 50 or older, covering the period from 2012 to 2021. The team systematically analyzed the impact of live zoster vaccination on cardiovascular disease, offering significant academic and clinical implications. The findings suggest a multidimensional benefit of vaccination in the healthcare strategies for older adults.
The study found that live zoster vaccination reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by approximately 23%. Notably, it showed a clear preventive effect on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death. These protective effects lasted for up to eight years.
Lee Kyung-Min, a master’s student in the Department of Regulatory Science at Kyung Hee University Graduate School and the first author of the paper, stated, “Our analysis of over 200,000 adults showed that individuals with a history of shingles had about a 30% higher risk of heart attacks or strokes. Additionally, around 30% of unvaccinated individuals are likely to develop shingles. Beyond the rash, there’s a heightened risk of heart disease. The shingles vaccine is the most effective preventive and protective measure.”
Professor Yeon emphasized, “This is the first study in the world to suggest, using large-scale long-term follow-up data, that live zoster vaccination may contribute to cardiovascular disease prevention. It provides a critical opportunity to reassess the importance of shingles vaccination, especially for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.”
The research findings were published in the
European Heart Journal (Impact Factor: 39.3) under the title
"Live zoster vaccination and cardiovascular outcomes: a nationwide, South Korean study."
