Increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients with herpes zoster: a population-based study.
The association between herpes zoster and cardiovascular complications remains vague with limited study on the association between these two disorders. This study evaluated the risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients with herpes zoster. From insurance claims data of Taiwan, 19,483 patients with herpes zoster diagnosed in 1998-2008 and 77,932 subjects without herpes zoster were identified in this study. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2010 to measure the incidence of arrhythmia and coronary artery disease. The incidence rate ratio and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of the cardiovascular complications with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated. The incidence of arrhythmia was 1.17-fold greater in the herpes zoster cohort than in the non-herpes zoster cohort (13.2 vs. 11.3 per 1,000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 1.16 (P < 0.01). The coronary artery disease incidence in the herpes zoster cohort was 1.16-fold higher than that in the non-herpes zoster cohort (9.02 vs. 7.83 per 1,000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 1.11 (P < 0.01). Over the stratified follow-up years, adjusted HRs were 1.22 (95% CI = 1.12-1.34) for arrhythmia and 1.14 (95% CI = 1.02-1.28) for coronary artery disease within 2 years after herpes zoster diagnosis. The risk measured for these disorders declined over time. Comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia also contributed to these cardiovascular disorders with greater extent. It is concluded that the contribution of herpes zoster to the risk of arrhythmia and cardiovascular diseases is less strong than that of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.
Department of Dermatology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Po-yuan
PY
Wu
Cheng-Li
CL
Lin
Fung-Chang
FC
Sung
Tzu-Chieh
TC
Chou
Yuan-Teh
YT
Lee
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
arrhythmia; coronary artery disease; herpes zoster; retrospective cohort study