A common vaccine may also protect the heart
A vaccine already used around the world to prevent shingles may have an unexpected extra benefit: it could dramatically reduce the risk of serious heart problems. Shingles — caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus behind chickenpox — is mainly known for causing painful rashes and nerve damage. But scientists have increasingly suspected that the infection might also trigger dangerous inflammation affecting the heart and blood vessels. Now, a major long-term study suggests that getting vaccinated against shingles can do much more than prevent the illness itself. Researchers found that people who received the vaccine had about […]
