IDWeek: Herpes Zoster Vaccination Linked to Lower Risk for MACE, Dementia, Death

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Vaccination against herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with lower risks for heart disease, dementia, and mortality among adults aged 50 years and older, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDWeek), held from Oct. 19 to 22 in Atlanta.

Ali Dehghani, D.O., and George Yendewa, M.D., M.P.H., from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, examined whether prior zoster vaccination reduces major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), dementia, and all-cause mortality among older adults with HZ in a retrospective matched cohort study. Adults aged 50 years and older with a first-time HZ diagnosis were stratified according to prior vaccination status (vaccinated or unvaccinated).

After propensity score-matching, 38,092 patients (19,046 per group) were followed from 90 days to seven years post-HZ. The researchers found an association for prior zoster vaccination with significantly lower hazards of all-cause mortality, MACE, and dementia (hazard ratios, 0.586, 0.787, and 0.839, respectively). There were no significant differences in psychiatric morbidity or Parkinsonism.

“Shingles is more than just a rash — it can raise the risk of serious problems for the heart and brain,” Dehghani said in a statement. “Our study findings show that the shingles vaccine may help lower those risks, especially in people already at higher risk for heart attack or stroke.”

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