Vaccine recommended: Shingles increases risk of heart attack and stroke

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Herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles, is a particularly nasty rash. Symptoms include burning pain, blisters and a sick feeling. As its German name suggests, inflammation surrounds the body like a belt.

The course of the disease is extremely painful. Shingles can also cause paralysis and inflammation of the meninges, brain, or spinal cord. After shingles clears up, affected people may continue to experience nerve pain for years.

The link between shingles and cardiovascular disease

In one study, South Korean researchers found a direct link between shingles and cardiovascular disease. The researchers used the National Health Insurance database for their study and evaluated entries from almost 520,000 patients from 2003 to 2013. There were 23,233 cases of shingles during this period. During this period, scientists also investigated the incidence of heart attacks and strokes in both a group of patients with shingles and an equally large group of people without shingles.

Shingles increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, by 41 percent, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. For stroke alone, the risk increased by 35 percent and for heart attack by 59 percent.

The risk increases in people under the age of 40

According to the scientists, the increased risk of stroke was particularly evident in people under 40, an age group less affected by atherosclerosis. The risk for both heart attack and stroke was highest in the first year after the onset of shingles and decreased over time.

Although the results require further research, Dr. said that it is important to raise awareness of people with shingles about the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Sung-Han Kim from Asan Medical Center in Seoul.

Shingles vaccine should become standard for people over 60 in Germany

Any person who has had chickenpox or is infected with the varicella-zoster virus can develop shingles. However, reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus occurs more frequently in people with weakened immune systems or the elderly. As we get older, the severity and complications of rashes increase.

That is why the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute speaks in favor of a standard vaccine against shingles. Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, has been approved in Germany and France since the beginning of 2018. In the Swiss vaccination plan 2018, vaccination with Zostavax against herpes zoster is recommended for the following groups of people:

• Immunocompetent people between the ages of 65 and 79
• People aged 50 to 79 years who are currently not or only slightly immunocompromised or are expected to be immunocompromised due to upcoming immunosuppressive therapy. (aponet)

Source : Blick