A long-standing mystery about the link between shingles and stroke has been solved.
According to a press release from Medicalnewstoday, the study was conducted by a research team led by assistant professor Andrew Bubak at the Anschutz Medical Campus at the University of Colorado Denver, and the results of the study were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The research team analyzed the blood of 13 people diagnosed with shingles. There were 5 males and 8 females, and the mean age was 62.1 years. Five males and five females without herpes zoster, and another 10 with an average age of 49.9 years, served as controls.
The study used blood samples taken within a week after the rash or blisters appeared in participants in the shingles group. At the time, no one was taking antivirals.
As a result, they identified prothrombotic exosomes and proinflammatory exosomes, which are the mechanisms linking shingles and stroke. Previous studies have shown an increased risk of stroke for up to a year after shingles, which typically lasts for a few weeks, but this study shows how that risk may be increased.
“Although this was a small study, it was surprisingly powerful in terms of overall variance in exosome content and induction of thrombotic conditions during acute herpes zoster outbreaks. We believe these early findings support much larger, longitudinal studies,” said Dr. Andrew Bubak. .
“There are some people who have pain that lasts months to years after shingles, but we don’t know if these people’s personal exosomes are different from completely resolving their initial symptoms,” Buvac said.