Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26218719›Full record

SynthesisPain2016

A systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia.

Harriet J Forbes, Sara L Thomas, Liam Smeeth, Tim Clayton, Ruth Farmer, Krishnan Bhaskaran, Sinéad M Langan

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Pain, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 185 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
185citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
13.1field-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.

NCT04594226 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Therapy in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia: a Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityRan2020 to 2021Enrolled132ConditionsPostherpetic NeuralgiaArmsEA combined with medication, Medication
NCT07399288 completednot on this map

Postherpetic Neuralgia After Herpes Zoster and Risk of Incident Dementia: Real-World Evidence From an International Matched Cohort With Landmark Analysis

TypeobservationalSponsorChina Medical University HospitalRan2015 to 2024Enrolled68,786ConditionsHerpes Zoster, Dementia, Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)ArmsExposure: postherpetic neuralgia
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

185 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 328 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Pooled it
  12. Herpes Zoster Risk in Immunocompromised Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2020
    Pooled it
  13. Pooled it
  14. Pooled it
  15. Pooled it
  16. Trial
  17. Trial
  18. Trial
  19. Trial
  20. Trial

125 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Harriet J ForbesFaculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Sara L Thomas
Liam Smeeth
Tim Clayton
Ruth Farmer
Krishnan Bhaskaran
Sinéad M Langan
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBUniversity of London · GB

Funding

Department of Health NIHR/CS/010/014Medical Research Council MR/K006584/1Wellcome Trust 098504Wellcome Trust 107731
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Patients with herpes zoster can develop persistent pain after rash healing, a complication known as postherpetic neuralgia. By preventing zoster through vaccination, the risk of this common complication is reduced. We searched MEDLINE and Embase for studies assessing risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia, with a view to informing vaccination policy. Nineteen prospective studies were identified. Meta-analysis showed significant increases in the risk of postherpetic neuralgia with clinical features of acute zoster including prodromal pain (summary rate ratio 2.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.42-3.69), severe acute pain (2.23, 1.71-2.92), severe rash (2.63, 1.89-3.66), and ophthalmic involvement (2.51, 1.29-4.86). Older age was significantly associated with postherpetic neuralgia; for individual studies, relative risk estimates per 10-year increase ranged from 1.22 to 3.11. Evidence for differences by gender was conflicting, with considerable between-study heterogeneity. A proportion of studies reported an increased risk of postherpetic neuralgia with severe immunosuppression (studies, n = 3/5) and diabetes mellitus (n = 1/4). Systemic lupus erythematosus, recent trauma, and personality disorder symptoms were associated with postherpetic neuralgia in single studies. No evidence of higher postherpetic neuralgia risk was found with depression (n = 4) or cancer (n = 5). Our review confirms a number of clinical features of acute zoster are risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia. It has also identified a range of possible vaccine-targetable risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia; yet aside from age-associated risks, evidence regarding risk factors to inform zoster vaccination policy is currently limited.

Indexed as

Age FactorsHerpes ZosterHumansNeuralgia, PostherpeticRisk FactorsSex Factors

Identifiers

PMID26218719
PMCPMC4685754
OpenAlexW1012433823

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.