Don’t underestimate your risk of shingles
90% of people over 50 carry the virus that causes shingles.2†
If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus could reactivate at any time. Your risk increases sharply after 50, as your
immune system is less able to keep the virus dormant.1,3
†Not everyone at risk will develop shingles.1
Some underlying medical conditions can increase your risk.1
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Diabetes People with diabetes are 40% more likely to develop shingles, compared to people without diabetes.4 If you have type 2 diabetes specifically, you could be at almost double the risk, compared to those without diabetes.5
Not only may diabetes increase your shingles risk, it can also increase your risk of shingles-related complications, such as long-term nerve pain, and hospitalisation.1,6,7
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Respiratory conditions
Respiratory conditions and their treatments can weaken the immune system, increasing risk of shingles.8,9
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increases shingles risk by 40%8
- Asthma increases shingles risk by 20%8
The use of steroid medication and oral inhalers, used to treat these conditions, could further increase this risk.10,11
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Heart disease
Heart disease can increase your risk of shingles by almost 30%, compared to people without heart disease.8
In rare cases, shingles can increase your risk of developing stroke.12*
*Within 3 months of shingles.12
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Kidney disease
Kidney disease can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of developing shingles.8,13 It increases your risk of shingles by 30%, compared to people without kidney disease.8
Not only this, but if you get shingles, it can have damaging effects on your kidneys, causing your disease to progress faster than it would have without shingles.14
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Cancer
Cancer and chemotherapy are known for weakening the immune system.1 This puts people with cancer at increased risk of shingles.15
Someone with cancer who is being treated with chemotherapy can have up to 7x the risk of shingles, compared to those without cancer.15 -
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis can weaken the immune system – increasing susceptibility to shingles.1,8
The risk of shingles in people with rheumatoid arthritis is increased by 50%, compared to those without rheumatoid arthritis.8 If you develop shingles, you may need to pause your current treatment plan,16 potentially causing your rheumatoid arthritis to flare up.
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“Shingles? I thought I was too young. I was wrong. The pain made me want to rip my skin off. I really struggled to sleep. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
“Shingles? It was the worst experience of my life. There were these terrible blisters, It felt like my skin was on fire. I thought I was too young for shingles.”*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
“Shingles? I’ve never felt pain like it, and I’ve had three kids. Most days I didn’t leave the house.”*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
“Shingles? I thought it was for older people. It really slowed my life down."*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
“Shingles? I had no idea someone healthy like me could get it. It was the worst experience of my life."*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
“Shingles? There were these terrible blisters. I really struggled to sleep."*
*Inspired by real patient stories. Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
Patient portrayal.
Hear more from Bil, a patient who's
experienced shingles suffering
Bil is a patient advocate and was diagnosed with shingles in 2024. This is his experience; others' experiences with shingles may be different.*
*Not everyone at risk will develop shingles.1
Shingles pain can last weeks or even months.1
Shingles symptoms may vary among patients.1
All images across the webpage are patient portrayals.
Any information provided on this website should be discussed with a healthcare professional and does not replace a healthcare professional's advice.
For more information or for medical advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
References
- Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Seward JF. Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008;57(RR-5): 1–30.
- Bollaerts K, Riera-Montes M, Heininger U, et al. A systematic review of varicella seroprevalence in European countries before universal childhood immunization: deriving incidence from seroprevalence data. Epidemiol Infect. 2017;145:2666–2677.
- Hales CM, Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez I, Bialek SR. Update on recommendations for use of herpes zoster vaccine. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63(33):729–731.
- Huang CT, Lee CY, Sung HY, et al. Association between diabetes mellitus and the risk of herpes zoster: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107:586–597.
- Poirrier JE, Meyers JL, Nagar SP, et al. Herpes zoster incidence and burden in adults with type 2 diabetes in the USA: retrospective database analysis. Diabetes Care. 2022;45:2585–2593.
- Muñoz-Quiles C, Lopez-Lacort M, Ampudia-Blasco FJ, et al. Risk and impact of herpes zoster on patients with diabetes: A population-based study, 2009–2014. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2017;13:2606–2611.
- Forbes HJ, Bhaskaran K, Thomas S L, et al. Quantification of risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia in herpes zoster patients: A cohort study. Neurology. 2016;87:94–102.
- Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadiamudi N. Risk factors for herpes zoster infection: A meta-analysis. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7:ofaa005.
- Safonova E, Yawn B, Welte T, Wang C. Risk factors for herpes zoster: should people with asthma or COPD be vaccinated? Respir Res. 2023;24:35
- Yang YW, Chen YH, Wang KH et al. Risk of herpes zoster among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population-based study. CMAJ 2011;183:E275–280.
- Bloechliger M, Reinau D, Spoendlin J et al. Adverse events profile of oral corticosteroids among asthma patients in the UK: cohort study with a nested case-control analysis. Respir Res. 2018;19:75.
- Erskine N, Tran H, Levin L, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis on herpes zoster and the risk of cardiac and cerebrovascular events. PloS One. 2017;12:e0181565.
- Ishigami J, Matsushita K. Clinical epidemiology of infectious disease among patients with chronic kidney disease. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2019;23:437–447.
- Lin SY, Liu JH, Yeh CH, et al. Association between herpes zoster and end stage renal disease entrance in chronic kidney disease patients: a population-based cohort study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2014;33:1809–1815.
- Habel LA, Ray GT, Silverberg MJ. et al. The epidemiology of herpes zoster in patients with newly diagnosed cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013;22:82–90.
- Winthrop K, Curtis J, Yamaoka K, et al. Clinical management of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis receiving tofacitinib treatment. Rheumatol Ther. 2022;9:243–263.