title: The role of age-sex interaction in the development of post-herpetic neuralgia.
abstract: Post-herpetic neuralgia is the most frequent complication of herpes zoster and affects up to 30% of patients. Increased age is a well-recognized risk factor, while the role of gender is highly uncertain. Little research has been performed into a possible combined effect of age and sex in post-herpetic neuralgia. The objective of the study was to study the role of age and sex and their combined effect in the development of post-herpetic neuralgia. This retrospective study enrolled adult subjects with at least one episode of herpes zoster in the previous 10 y. A questionnaire on the patient's socio-demographic, anamnestic and clinical characteristics was administered by general practitioners. Multivariable logistic regression was used to detect relationships between post-herpetic neuralgia and age, sex and their interaction. Fifty-nine of 272 patients reported post-herpetic neuralgia: a prevalence of 21.7%. Subjects with post-herpetic neuralgia (mean age 70.9 years) were significantly older (P = .001) than those without (64.2 years), the standardised mean difference being 0.5; no significant between-sex association was revealed (P = .96). A fully adjusted multivariable logistic analysis, however, revealed a highly significant (P = .007) age-sex interaction, with an odds ratio of 0.92; this also showed that older males were more likely to report post-herpetic neuralgia than younger males, while no obvious age-associated pattern was observed among females. We discerned a significant age-by-sex interaction in the development of post-herpetic neuralgia, which suggests that the effect of age on the development of this condition may differ between men and women.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amicizia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domnich
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arata
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoli
authors.affiliation: b Department of Public Health , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Carla Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zotti
authors.affiliation: b Department of Public Health , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cacello
authors.affiliation: b Department of Public Health , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gualano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panatto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Herpes zoster; age-sex interaction; post-herpetic neuralgia; risk factors of Herpes zoster