How can I protect myself from an Achy Breaky Heart?

By Katie Prater, 2025 ONU PharmD Candidate and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of ONU Healthwise Pharmacy

In 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus released his song Achy Breaky Heart. This song was originally written by Don Von Tress in 1990 and initially released by the Marcy Brothers in 1991 under the title “Don’t Tell my Heart”. Billy’s version of this song is about protecting your heart from a romantic perspective, but how could that apply to him? the overall health of our heart? Many of us don’t want a “painful, broken heart,” whether due to heartbreak or illness. So what can you do to protect your heart health?

We often hear all about what can negatively impact our heart health, but what can we do to protect our heart? Recent research has shown that the shingles vaccine may be helpful.

Many diseases can impact our heart health, and research shows that shingles may also do the same. Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox reactivates in the body and causes a painful rash along a nerve. The rash often occurs on the side of the body and can potentially lead to serious complications such as long-term nerve pain. The CDC reports that an estimated 1 million people in the United States develop shingles each year. Although shingles can occur more than once, most people only experience it once. ▶︎

Now you may be asking yourself: Do I still need the shingles vaccine if I’ve never had chickenpox?

Even if you have never had chickenpox and/or did not receive the chickenpox vaccine as a child, you can become infected with the virus that causes shingles through contact with someone who has the virus. As you get older, your risk of developing shingles increases. Medical conditions can play a role in development, as can medications known to suppress the immune system.

According to the CDC, it is recommended that every person at least 50 years old receive two doses of the shingles vaccine, known as Shingrix. People aged 19 and over can receive the vaccine if their immune system is weakened. Research has shown that the vaccine is 97% effective at preventing shingles in people ages 50 to 69 and 91% effective in people over 70. This prevention of shingles development can lead to further complications that can develop secondary to the virus.

A 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reported that there is an association between shingles and an increased risk of cardiovascular or heart-related events. This study included 205,030 participants and found that those who had the shingles virus had a 30% increased risk of developing a heart-related event in the future. The same people also had a 38% higher risk of having a stroke, while the risk of having a heart attack or needing heart surgery was 25% higher. This means that in every group of 4 people, one of them is likely to either have a heart attack or require surgery after contracting the shingles virus.

Research has shown that the shingles vaccine is effective in preventing heart complications because it helps reduce the risk of shingles.

If you are interested in more information about shingles, the vaccine or other health-related information, please contact ONU HealthWise Pharmacy at 419-722-3784

ONU HealthWise offers the shingles vaccine along with flu, COVID-19 and other vaccinations. The vaccination consultation hours will continue until mid-December on weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m

The pharmacy is open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.