Herpes Zoster - Risk Increases With Rheumatoid Arthritis and DMARD Use

Herpes zoster, or shingles, is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Following chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant in the body but herpes zoster can emerge again years later. Reactivation of the virus has been linked to aging, stress, or an impaired immune system. According to a study published in the December 15, 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, researchers attempted to determine if the incidence of herpes zoster is elevated in rheumatoid arthritis patients and if the use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) contributes to an increase in herpes zoster.

Using two large databases, researchers compared the rate of herpes zoster among 160,893 rheumatoid arthritis patients and randomly selected non-rheumatoid arthritis patients. Researchers concluded that patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of herpes zoster. Also, current use of DMARDs (biologic DMARDs and traditional DMARDs) was tied to an increased risk of herpes zoster, as was the use of oral corticosteroids.

Related Resources:

• Herpes Zoster: An In-Depth Report
• More About Corticosteroids
• More About DMARDs / Biologic DMARDs
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: 10 Things You Should Know
• Calcitonin May Be Disease-Modifier Drug for Osteoarthritis

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