Studies Herpes zoster can trigger heart attack and stroke

A herpes zoster can trigger a heart attack or a stroke in seniors. The greatest risk is in the first week of illness. This resulted in a recent study.

Herpes can promote a heart attack. Picture: Cherries - fotolia

The study authors evaluated the data of 42,954 senior citizens over a five-year period. It was found that patients suffered 2.4 times more ischemic stroke in the first week after the onset of shingles.

The number of heart attacks was increased by a factor of 1.7. The risk gradually declined over the following weeks, but was higher overall over a six month period after the onset of the zoster. Slightly weaker was the effect on seniors who had been vaccinated against zoster disease. (Pm)