IDSA

IDWeek 2025: Shingles vaccine linked to lower dementia, heart disease risks

October 23, 2025

Vaccination against herpes zoster is associated with significantly reduced risks of heart disease, dementia, and death in adults age 50 and older, according to research presented at IDWeek 2025. Investigators analyzed health records from more than 174,000 adults across 107 U.S. health systems, tracking outcomes for three months to seven years after vaccination. When compared with recipients of pneumococcal vaccine, those who received the shingles vaccine had a 50% lower risk of vascular dementia, 27% lower risk of thrombosis, 25% lower risk of MI or stroke, and 21% lower risk of death.

These findings suggest that shingles vaccination may help protect against CV and neurologic complications in addition to preventing shingles itself. For clinicians, this underscores the importance of recommending shingles vaccination not only for infection prevention but also as a potential strategy to reduce long-term risks of dementia and major CV events.

Source:

(2025, October 19). Infectious Diseases Society of America. Shingles vaccine lowers risk of dementia, major cardiovascular events [News release]. https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2025/shingles-vaccine-lowers-risk-of-dementia-major-cardiovascular-events/