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Posts for tag: heart attack

By Robert J Weiss MD PC
May 11, 2014
Category: Uncategorized

                  Most people know that shingles or herpes zoster occurs in people who had chicken pox (varicella) 

in the past and can occur years or decades later. And,shingles is more common in people over 65 years old 

and usually occurs only once .

                 Also,the rash,which usually follows a distribution of nerve endings,can be characterized by pain,

burning, numbness or tingling and is usually preceded by headache,fever,pain or malaise (a general

feeling of discomfort or uneasiness) . Herpes zoster (shingles) usually does not cross the midline of  the

body and presents as grouped vesicles (blisters).

                A recent study reports that patients who had shingles after age 40 had a 10 % higher risk for

myocardial infarction (heart attack) and a 15 % greater incidence of a TIA (mini-stroke or transient

ischemic attack).

              Those individuals who had shingles prior to age 40 were in much greater danger-a 50 %

higher chance of a heart attack and 2.4 times more prone to have a mini-stroke.

             The bottom line: if you have had shingles,get a cardiovascular checkup which should

include screening for risk factors including high blood pressure,cholesterol,diabetes, and

coronary artery disease.

 

                 

 

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