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More and more Americans are diagnosed with ocular complications of shingles, but older people can decide if they are protected from painful rashes that can cost them their sight.
Among the 21 million adults, herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) appears when shingles comes into contact with the eyes, tripled over a 12-year period, according to a Kellogg Eye study Center presented to the Vision and Ophthalmology Research Association of 2019. Annual meeting in Vancouver.
The study's author, Nakul Shekhawat, MD, MPH, explains that it's important to determine which patients are most at risk for HZO and how to prevent it "due to the severity of the disease and its potential complications threatening sight. "
Even though it's caused by the same virus, shingles is different from chicken pox.
Years after recovery, the virus can become active again and cause shingles, a painful and debilitating infection that can lead to corneal scarring and blindness.
Kellogg researchers found that the incidence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus in the United States had increased significantly between 2004 and 2016, with a frequency of 9.4 cases per 100,000 population at the beginning of the period. Study and multiplication by 3 to reach 30.1 cases per 100,000 at the end of the study period. .
Shingles affecting the eyes can be more of a problem for women and adults over the age of 75 (53 cases per 100,000), two groups with the highest infection rates, the study showed. .
Although shingles occurs in young adults, it is still considered one of the dangers of old age.
"Elderly patients had a much greater risk of developing an HZO, stressing how important it is that older people get vaccinated against shingles," says Shekhawat, an experienced ophthalmologist in the Department of Ophthalmology and Disease Sciences. vision of the University of Michigan.
Whites more than other racial groups were diagnosed with HZO, with lower rates among blacks (23.4), Asians (21.0) and Latinos (14.6). Among whites, the rate was 30.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The fact that women (29.1 cases per 100,000 people) and white patients have such a high infection rate raises interesting questions, says Shekhawat, about their exposure in the community and the fact that their system immune system only exposes them to risk.
Vaccination against shingles provides strong protection against shingles and its complications, but the vaccine is not widely used.
Two doses of Shingrix are over 90% effective at preventing shingles and are recommended for people 50 years and older.
Even if an adult has already had shingles, Shingrix can help prevent future events, according to US Centers for Protection and Protection against Disease.
The statisticians Nidhi Talwar and Joshua D. Stein, MD, member of the UM Institute for Health Policy and Innovation and the UM Center for Vision Policy and Innovation, are part of the Kellogg Vision and Health Services Team. They studied the demographics and variations of herpes zoster ophthalmicus in the United States with the support of Eversight Eye Bank and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Michigan.
The results were based on data on health claims of patients enrolled in a large national care management plan.
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