Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24700656›Full record

ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2014

Risk of stroke following herpes zoster: a self-controlled case-series study.

Sinéad M Langan, Caroline Minassian, Liam Smeeth, Sara L Thomas

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 74 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
74citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
14.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

74 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 153 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. Review
  10. Neuro- and cardioprotective benefits of recombinant herpes zoster vaccination.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026
    Article
  11. Association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging: evidence from a US population-based cohort study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
    Article
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  18. Post-infectious central nervous system vasculitides in adults: an underdiagnosed and treatable disease part II. Neuroimaging of selected etiologies : Part II. Neuroimaging of selected etiologies.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Review
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14 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sinéad M LanganFaculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.
Caroline Minassian
Liam Smeeth
Sara L Thomas
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

Department of Health CDF-2010-03-32Department of Health NIHR/CS/010/014Medical Research Council MR/K006584/1Wellcome Trust 098504Wellcome Trust 098504/Z/12/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHerpes zoster is common and vaccine preventable. Stroke risk may be increased following zoster, but evidence is sparse and could be explained by differences between people with and without zoster. Our objective was to determine if stroke risk is increased following zoster.

methodsWithin-person comparisons were undertaken using the self-controlled case-series method and data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (1987-2012). Participants had a first-ever diagnosis of zoster and stroke within the study period. Stroke incidence in periods following zoster was compared with incidence in other time periods. Age-adjusted incidence ratios (IRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

resultsA total of 6584 individuals were included. Stroke rate was increased following zoster compared with the baseline unexposed period, then gradually reduced over 6 months: weeks 1-4 (age-adjusted IR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.32-2.02), weeks 5-12 (IR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.21-1.68), and weeks 13-26 (IR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42), with no increase thereafter. A stronger effect was observed for individuals with zoster ophthalmicus, rising to a >3-fold rate 5-12 weeks after zoster. Oral antivirals were given to 55% of individuals: IRs for stroke were lower among those receiving antivirals compared with those not treated, suggesting a protective effect.

conclusionsWe have established an increased stroke rate within 6 months following zoster. Findings have implications for zoster vaccination programs, which may reduce stroke risk following zoster. The low antiviral prescribing rate needs to be improved; our data suggest that antiviral therapy may lead to a reduced stroke risk following zoster.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAntiviral AgentsFemaleHerpes ZosterHumansIncidenceMaleRisk AssessmentStrokeTime FactorsUnited KingdomAntiviral Agentsherpes zosterself-controlled case-series studystroke

Identifiers

PMID24700656
PMCPMC4017889
OpenAlexW2102440817

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.