Herpes Zoster Linked to Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Events

FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with an elevated long-term risk for a cardiovascular event, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Sharon G. Curhan, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the longitudinal association of HZ and long-term risk for stroke or coronary heart disease (CHD) among 79,658 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), 93,932 women in the NHS II, and 31,440 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
The researchers found that 3,603 incident stroke and 8,620 incident CHD cases were documented during >2 million person-years of follow-up. There was a significant and independent association observed for history of HZ with higher long-term risk for stroke and CHD. Compared with those with no history of HZ, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95 percent confidence intervals) for stroke were 1.05 (0.88 to 1.25), 1.38 (1.10 to 1.74), 1.28 (1.03 to 1.59), and 1.19 (0.90 to 1.56) among those with one to four, five to eight, nine to 12, and 13 or more years since HZ, respectively. The corresponding multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95 percent confidence intervals) for CHD were 1.13 (1.01 to 1.27), 1.16 (1.02 to 1.32), 1.25 (1.07 to 1.46), and 1.00 (0.83 to 1.12) for one to four, five to eight, nine to 12, and 13 or more years since HZ.
"These findings suggest there are long-term implications of HZ and underscore the importance of public health efforts for prevention," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, including GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, which partially funded the study.
Related Posts
40-Year Study Finds Weight-Loss Surgery Extending Life Spans
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) – It’s well known that obesity fuels...
Racial Disparities Seen in Presentation of Frontotemporal Dementia
THURSDAY, Sept. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Racial disparities can be seen in...
Pfizer Says Its Booster Shot Bolsters Immune Response in Those Aged 5 to 11 Years
THURSDAY, April 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. said Thursday that its...
AHA News: More Than a Kernel of Truth: Corn Can Add a Healthy Crunch to Your Cookout
FRIDAY, May 26, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Stroll past the...