Shingles Increases the Risk for Stroke

Occasional cases of stroke following a shingles (herpes zoster) attack have been reported.  Taiwan physicians have now done an epidemiological study that provides some evidence of the increased risk of stroke in patients who have had an attack of shingles.  Their results are posted online in the journal Stroke.

The Taiwan National Health Research Database was used to determine the incidence of stroke among 7,760 adults treated for shingles between 1997 and 2001.  There were 133 shingles patients who had a stroke during the first year of follow-up, giving an incidence of 1.71%.  The incidence of stroke in 23,280 non-shingles subjects during this time period was 1.31% - a significant difference.  The risk for stroke was even higher in shingles patients who had eye complications - ophthalmic shingles, or herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

The varicella virus, which usually produces chicken pox in children and then becomes hidden for years in the nerve ganglia, can also involve the blood vessels.  This vasculopathy, or disease of the blood vessels, may or may not be responsible for the increased incidence of stroke after shingles.  Further research is necessary.  In the meantime, it makes very good sense for people over 60 to get vaccinated against the virus; not only can this step protect you against getting shingles, it may help decrease your likelihood of having a stroke.