I recently saw an online article about how certain vaccines could prevent heart attacks and strokes, and when I read the part about shingles, it maybe explains what happened to Henry. He had just gotten over shingles before the massive stroke that killed him. The shingles first manifested with pain in the left side of his neck, where the artery that eventually collapsed was. I think I'll get the vaccination; if Henry had, he might still be here....
Other Vaccines that Reduce Heart Attack Risk
Along with a flu shot, Dr. Bale recommends two other vaccinations to reduce heart attack and stroke risk if you’re 50 or older and have CVD. If you don’t have plaque in your arteries, you should still get these shots, but at an older age, as discussed below:
The herpes zoster vaccination against shingles. This shot protects against reactivation of the chickenpox virus almost everyone was exposed to during childhood. The virus, which lies dormant in nerve cells, can flare up, typically in older people, and cause a blistering skin rash that can lead to chronic nerve pain. Two large studies report that people who develop shingles are at up to four times higher risk for stroke, highlighting the value of vaccination. While shingles usually targets people who are 60 or older, about 20 percent of cases occur in people ages 50 to 59, which is why Dr. Bale advises being vaccinated at 50 if you have CVD.
Here's a link to the whole article:
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/shot-prevents-heart-attacks
