Shingles can put you at great risk of having stroke, new study warns

Around 50,000 cases of shingles are present among elderly people and they are at risk, Mustafa Qadri writes

The shingles vaccine is available on the NHS but only to people in their 70s (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Shingles can increase the risk of a stroke and other major cardiovascular problems by 30 per cent, a new study shows.

A study of over 200,000 people conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, found that this elevated risk may last for 12 years or more after developing the condition.

Also known as herpes zoster, shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, and can result in a painful rash anywhere on the head or body.