Shingles Vaccine May Slow Biological Aging in Seniors

A new study of older Americans suggests that the shingles vaccine may modestly slow biological aging processes, particularly by reducing chronic inflammation, beyond its primary role in preventing the painful rash.

Researchers analyzed blood samples and health data from 3,884 participants aged 70 and older in the Health and Retirement Study, a long-term U.S. survey of aging adults. The findings, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, showed that those vaccinated against shingles between 2008 and 2018 had lower scores on measures of systemic inflammation, epigenetic aging and transcriptomic aging compared to unvaccinated peers. Epigenetic clocks, which track DNA changes linked to mortality and decline, indicated slower aging rates among the vaccinated, with a beta coefficient of 0.17. Similar patterns emerged for gene expression profiles related to immune function and stress responses, at 0.19. Overall, vaccinated individuals had a lower composite biological aging score across seven domains, including innate immunity.

The study adjusted for factors like education, income, smoking and chronic conditions using inverse...