Herpes zoster and major vascular events in a general population without prior cardiovascular event from Shizuoka Kokuho database

Herpes zoster and major vascular events in a general population without prior cardiovascular event from Shizuoka Kokuho database. Download PDF Abstract Herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with a risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but findings may differ according to baseline risk profiles. We evaluated the association between HZ and CVD among adults without prior CVD.

We used a municipal-level health insurance database in Japan. Adults aged 50–84 years without prior CVD were included. HZ was defined using ICD-10 diagnostic codes with concurrent antiviral prescription.

The primary outcome was a composite of unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or stroke requiring hospitalization. Propensity score matching was performed and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Sensitivity analyses were conducted in individuals with Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 1.

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