However, the numbers of those affected were low, with just 0.21 per cent of those taking part in the study who had shingles suffering a stroke.
The study was also not able to establish whether there was a direct cause for strokes or heart attacks by shingles.
Dr Judith Breuer, a virologist at University College London who led the study, said patients suffering from shingles should, however, be monitored more closely for their risk of stroke.
She added that further work was needed to see whether vaccinating against shingles could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients.
She said: Anyone with shingles, and especially younger people, should be screened for stroke risk factors.
The shingles vaccine has been shown to reduce the number of cases of shingles by about 50 per cent.
Studies are needed to determine whether vaccination can also reduce the incidence of stroke and heart attack.
However, what is also clear is that factors that increase the risk of stroke also increase the risk of shingles, so we do not know if vaccinating people can reduce the risk of stroke per se.
Current recommendations are that anyone 60 years and older should be vaccinated. The role for vaccination in younger individuals with vascular risk factors needs to be determined.
Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus which can remain dormant inside the roots of nerve cells.
Read the original:
Shingles increase risk of stroke and heart attack