Besides protecting against the disease, the shingles vaccine could also be linked to slower biological ageing, a new study has found.
People aged 70 and above who received a shingles vaccine showed slower biological ageing than those unvaccinated, according to new research from the University of Southern California.
Biological age is how old your body seems based on its health and function. It reflects the wear and tear your cells, tissues, and organs have accumulated over time, and is influenced by lifestyle, environment, and genetics – not just chronological age.
Vaccines are designed to protect against acute infection, however, recent research has shown the possible connection between adult vaccines, including those for shingles and influenza, and lower risks of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders, said Jung Ki Kim, lead author of the study.
“This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy ageing by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention,” Kim said.
The study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, an Oxford Academic journal, looked at 3,884 participants who were aged 70 and above in 2016, measuring their biological ageing by assessing aspects such as inflammation, immune response, blood flow, and neurodegeneration.
Researchers found that, on average, vaccinated participants had significantly lower levels of inflammation, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic ageing, and lower composite biological ageing scores.
Vaccination was also associated with higher adaptive immunity scores, the body’s response to specific pathogens after exposure or vaccination.
One key factor, according to the study, was inflammation.
Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a well-known driver of many age-related conditions, such as heart disease, and cognitive decline – a process known as “inflammaging”.
“By helping to reduce this background inflammation – possibly by preventing reactivation of the virus that causes shingles, the vaccine may play a role in supporting healthier ageing,” said Kim.
Results maintained over time
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a painful blistering skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus.
Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles. While shingles can occur at younger ages, the risk is higher for those aged 50 or older and among people with weakened immune systems.
Vaccination provides effective protection against shingles and significantly reduces the likelihood of developing postherpetic neuralgia, the persistent nerve pain that can follow infection.
The study found that the potential benefits of shingles vaccines appeared to persist over time.
When analysing how the time since vaccination affected results, the researchers found that improvements in biological ageing were most pronounced within three years post-vaccination, with slower ageing persisting beyond this window.
Those who were vaccinated four or more years before the blood test still showed slower biological ageing than those without the vaccines.
The study noted that longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the patterns and explore implications for long-term health
