Shingles rash linked to higher risk of stroke

Shingles, the nerve rash in adulthood caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus, is an independent risk factor for stroke and other blood clot events, the largest study to confirm the association has found.Publishing their findings in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the researchers found that shingles was a risk factor for stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA, a mini-stroke).The increased risk was independent of other factors known to raise the chances of vascular events, including obesity, smoking and high cholesterol.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Stroke Source Type: news