WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- According to a new research , shingles is associated with an almost 30% higher long-term risk of a major cardiovascular event such a stroke or heart attack.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have indicated that shingles, also known as herpes zoster , may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disorders, including stroke and coronary artery disease.
study followed three large U.S. cohorts of more than 200,000 women and men: the Nurses’ Health Study (~79,000 women), the Nurses’ Health Study II (~94,000 women) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (~31,000 men). Participants did not have a prior history of stroke or coronary heart disease. The team collected information on shingles, stroke and coronary heart disease using questionnaires collected every two years and confirmed the diagnoses with medical record review. The team followed the participants for up to 16 years and evaluated whether those who had developed shingles were at higher risk for stroke or coronary heart disease years after the shingles episode.
The results showed that people who had previously developed shingles were at 30% higher long-term risk of a major cardiovascular event compared with those who had not had shingles, and the elevated risk may persist for 12 years or more after having shingles.