Shingles vaccine may slow biological ageing in older adults

Shingles vaccination may slow biological ageing in older adults, research suggests.

The study examined more than 3,800 people aged 70 and older and found that those who received the vaccine showed slower biological ageing on average than unvaccinated individuals.

The study used data from a nationally representative US survey to assess how shingles vaccination related to several measures of biological ageing.

Even when controlling for other sociodemographic and health variables, vaccinated individuals had lower inflammation measurements, slower epigenetic ageing (changes in how genes are switched on or off) and slower transcriptomic ageing (changes in how genes are transcribed into RNA used to create proteins).

The research was carried out at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, using data from the US Health and Retirement Study.

Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of shingles. While shingles can occur at younger ages, risk is higher for those 50 and older and for immunocompromised people. Vaccination offers protection from shingles and lowers the chance of postherpetic neuralgia, or long-term pain after infection.

While vaccines are designed to protect against acute infection, recent research has highlighted a possible link between adult vaccines, including those for shingles and influenza, and lower risks of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders, said research associate professor of gerontology Jung Ki Kim, the study’s first author.

“This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy ageing by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention.”

Biological ageing refers to how the body changes over time, including how well organs and systems are working, unlike chronological ageing, which is simply time passing. Two people who are both 65 years old may look very different inside: one may have the biological profile of someone younger, while another may show signs of ageing earlier.

Kim and coauthor Eileen Crimmins, USC university professor and AARP professor of gerontology, measured seven aspects of biological ageing: inflammation, innate immunity (the body’s general defences against infection), adaptive immunity (responses to specific pathogens after exposure or vaccination), cardiovascular haemodynamics (blood flow), neurodegeneration, epigenetic ageing and transcriptomic ageing. The team also used the measures collectively to record a composite biological ageing score.

Chronic, low-level inflammation is a contributor to many age-related conditions, including heart disease, frailty and cognitive decline. This phenomenon is known as inflammaging, Kim said.

“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. While the exact biological mechanisms remain to be understood, the potential for vaccination to reduce inflammation makes it a promising addition to broader strategies aimed at promoting resilience and slowing age-related decline.”

The effect may persist. When analysing how time since vaccination related to results, Kim and Crimmins found that participants who received their vaccine four or more years before providing their blood sample still showed slower epigenetic, transcriptomic and overall biological ageing on average than unvaccinated participants.

“These findings indicate that shingles vaccination influences key domains linked to the ageing process. While further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings, especially using longitudinal and experimental designs, our study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that vaccines may play a role in healthy ageing strategies beyond solely preventing acute illness.

The work was supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. The Health and Retirement Study is supported by the National Institute on Aging.