Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38193987›Full record

ArticleInfectious diseases and therapy2024

Incidence and Burden of Herpes Zoster in Sweden: A Regional Population-Based Register Study.

Emma Södergren, Kristina Mårdberg, Marie Nishimwe, Amit Bhavsar, Alen Marijam, Tomas Bergström, Patrik Stäck

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious diseases and therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
10.4field-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

21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Global herpes zoster burden in adults with COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Pooled it
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  7. Unlocking herpes zoster vaccination value in Finland: return on investment and actuarial model.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
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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 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Emma SödergrenLumell Associates, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kristina MårdbergGSK, Hemvärnsgatan 9, P.O. Box 516, 169 29, Solna, Sweden. kristina.x.mardberg@gsk.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2710-8510
Marie NishimweGSK, Rueil-Malmaison, France.
Amit BhavsarGSK, Wavre, Belgium.
Alen MarijamGSK, Wavre, Belgium.
Tomas BergströmDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Patrik StäckLumell Associates, Stockholm, Sweden.
GlaxoSmithKline (Belgium) · BEGlaxoSmithKline (Sweden) · SEUniversity of Gothenburg · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHerpes zoster (HZ) is a painful disease that mainly affects individuals whose immune system has been weakened because of increasing age (> 50 years) or certain diseases or treatments. We estimated the complete burden of HZ.

methodsThis population-based register study analysed healthcare data from the VEGA and Digitalis databases of Västra Götaland Region (VGR), Sweden. The VEGA database includes all patients in VGR, covering both hospital and primary care. The Digitalis records prescribed medications. The study population included patients aged ≥ 18 years with at least one registered primary or secondary HZ diagnosis (based on International Classification of Diseases [ICD] codes) between 2005 and 2021. Incidence rates (95% confidence intervals [CI]) were stratified by age, sex and diagnosis/analgesic prescription.

resultsOverall HZ incidence increased from 2.5 (95% CI 2.4-2.6) in 2005 to 4.2 (95% CI 4.1-4.3) in 2021. The increase in incidence was rapid from 2005 to 2013, followed by a plateauing trend. From 2014-2019, the lifetime risk of HZ, excluding recurrent cases, was 36.5% (95% CI 35.5-37.4%). Municipal differences ranged from 34.4% (95% CI 32.5-36.4%) to 43.6% (95% CI 39.9-47.4%). Recurrence rates of HZ were 8.7% and 9.1% with follow-up periods of 5.5 and 10.5 years, respectively. Reported postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) cases increased five-fold over the study period. In 2019, 19% of all HZ patients developed HZ-related neuropathic pain; 13.6% had signs of persistent pain (> 90 days; i.e. PHN). An increased occurrence of cerebral and cardiovascular disease was observed in HZ patients. Among high-risk groups the occurrence of HZ peaked among those with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

conclusionHZ and PHN risk in Sweden is comparable to that in other European countries prior to implementing HZ national vaccination programs. Municipal differences suggest that the lifetime risk of HZ in Sweden is at least 36.5%. CLINICAL

trial registrationNCT Number ( www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ).

Indexed as

EpidemiologyHerpes zosterLifetime riskPostherpetic neuralgiaRecurrence rateRisk groups

Identifiers

PMID38193987
PMCPMC10828402
OpenAlexW4390779553

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.