Shingles vaccination may not only prevent the disease but also contribute to slower biological aging in older adults, according to a study by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The research analysed data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, which included over 3,800 participants aged 70 and older. The findings revealed that those who received the shingles vaccine experienced slower biological aging compared to unvaccinated individuals, even when accounting for other sociodemographic and health variables.
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. Although shingles can occur at any age, the risk increases for those over 50 and immunocompromised individuals. Vaccination offers protection against shingles and reduces the likelihood of postherpetic neuralgia, a condition of long-term pain following a shingles infection.
Recent research indicates a potential link between adult vaccines, such as those for shingles and influenza, and reduced risks of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Research Associate Professor Jung Ki Kim, the study’s first author, noted that this study supports the emerging evidence that vaccines may promote healthy aging by influencing biological systems beyond infection prevention.
The study differentiated between chronological and biological aging, focusing on the latter, which assesses how the body’s organs and systems function over time. Kim and co-author Eileen Crimmins measured seven aspects of biological aging: inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, cardiovascular hemodynamics, neurodegeneration, epigenetic aging, and transcriptomic aging. These metrics were used to create a composite biological aging score.
Results showed that vaccinated individuals had notably lower inflammation levels, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, and reduced composite biological aging scores. Chronic inflammation, a known contributor to age-related conditions such as heart disease and cognitive decline, may be mitigated by the vaccine, potentially supporting healthier aging.
Kim highlighted that the vaccine might reduce background inflammation by preventing the reactivation of the shingles-causing virus. The study found that even participants vaccinated four or more years prior demonstrated slower biological aging compared to those unvaccinated. Crimmins emphasized the need for further research to confirm these findings, suggesting that vaccines could be integral to strategies promoting resilience and slowing age-related decline.
The study, “Association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging: Evidence from a U.S. population-based cohort study,” was published in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. It was supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health.
