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Ocular Shingles Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke ST. PAUL, Minn -- March 5, 2010 -- Having a shingles infection that affects the eyes may increase the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the March 3 online issue of Neurology. For the study, researchers identified 658 people diagnosed with ocular shingles and 1,974 without the infection. None of these people had a history of stroke at the beginning of the study. During the 1-year study, stroke developed in 8.1% of the people with shingles and 1.7% of the people without shingles. The study found people with shingles were 4.5 times more likely to have a stroke compared with people without shingles. The results were the same regardless of age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and medications. “Shingles may represent a marker for increased risk of stroke,” said Jau-Der Ho, MD, PhD, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. The study also found the people with shingles were more likely to have ischaemic stroke, and less likely to have haemorrhagic stroke, compared with people without shingles. “As we face an aging population with increased risk factors for stroke, the results of this study reinforce the importance of preventing stroke in older people who develop shingles,” said Gustavo A. Ortiz, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Antiviral drugs are used to treat ocular shingles. The researchers found that there was no difference in the risk of stroke between people who received antiviral drugs and those who did not. Dr. Ortiz says further research is needed because the study did not account for stroke risk factors such as cigarette smoking. Also, the results are based on people in Taiwan, and there may be differences in stroke risk compared to other populations. SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version