| ▲ One study found that those with a history of shingles had a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease. (Photo = DB) |
[메디컬투데이=한지혁 기자] Studies have shown that patients with a history of shingles have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease.
A study investigating the association between shingles and cardiovascular disease was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Recently, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston conducted a study to determine the effect of shingles on cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and coronary heart disease.
They analyzed data from 205,030 participants in all three studies, but those with a prior history of stroke or coronary heart disease were excluded from the study.
Participants reported symptoms of shingles and coronary heart disease in a biennial questionnaire. When cross-validated by medical professionals, these self-reports were found to be highly accurate.
As a result of the analysis, it was found that those who had shingles were up to 38% more likely to develop stroke symptoms than those who did not. The risk of developing coronary heart disease also increased by 25%.
Similar to previous studies, this study also failed to demonstrate a causal relationship between shingles and cardiovascular disease. Experts have advanced various theories about the link between the two diseases.
For example, the zoster virus is known to be the only virus capable of replicating in large and small arteries. When angiopathy is caused by a virus, blood clotting is induced due to arterial wall damage and endothelial dysfunction, which can cause cardiovascular disease.
Shingles is characterized by a painful rash that lasts 2 to 4 weeks and can occur when the immune system does not effectively suppress the varicella virus dormant in the ganglion.
Currently, the majority of shingles patients are over the age of 50 who had chickenpox as children, and in the case of young people, most of them received the chickenpox vaccine, so they do not have the shingles virus. chicken pox dormant in their bodies.
Given the current situation where the number of patients with shingles is increasing due to an aging population and availability of vaccines, shingles vaccine can be an effective means to reduce the burden of the disease. disease and reduce the risk of subsequent cardiovascular complications.
US health authorities recommend that all people over the age of 50 receive the shingles vaccine, except for those who have had adverse reactions to previous vaccines. Also, if shingles has already occurred, appropriate antiviral treatment within 72 hours can help relieve symptoms.
Medical Today reporter Han Ji-hyeok ([email protected])
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
