APS Press Room
News Highlights from The Journal of Pain • January 2008
The Peer Review Journal of the American Pain Society
| For immediate release | Contact: Chuck Weber (847) 705-1802 |
Shingles Vaccination Prevents Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults
GLENVIEW, Jan. 15, 2008—A major cause of severe, chronic pain in older adults, post-therpetic neuralgia, can be prevented or reduced in severity by immunization to reduce risk for herpes zoster or shingles, according to research published in The Journal of Pain.
Some one million Americans develop shingles every year and antiviral therapies have improved medical management of the condition. However, substantial numbers still develop pain complications, most notably post-herpetic neuralgia. As a result, herpes zoster can significantly impair the quality of life of older adults.
Potential benefits of immunization for herpes zoster were examined in a large (38,456 subjects), randomized, placebo-controlled trial, known as the Shingles Prevention Study. The herpes zoster vaccine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and is indicated for prevention of shingles for individuals 60 and older.
Results of the study showed vaccinated patients had a 51 percent reduction in the incidence of herpes zoster and a 61 percent reduction in the onset of shingles vs. the placebo group. Further, the rate of post-herpetic neuralgia was 66 percent lower in the vaccinated group.
The study concluded the herpes zoster vaccine is a safe and effective treatment to reduce risk for developing shingles and its downstream pain-syndrome complications.
Source: Vaccination to Prevent Herpes Zoster in Older Adults; John W. Gnann, Jr. University of Alabama Birmingham and the Birmingham VA Medical Center.
Study Probes Arthritis Links with Mental Disorders
In the first study to investigate possible associations between arthritis and personality disorders, Canadian researchers, writing in The Journal of Pain, found significant correlation between arthritis and depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.
The study sampled 43,000 US adults who completed the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule, which included reports about arthritis and related chronic medical conditions. Numerous studies have demonstrated that pain conditions and psychiatric disorders are positively associated. Further, co-morbid arthritis and psychopathology have been linked to increased disability, reduced quality of life and higher use of health care services. The authors noted that in light of previous findings, anxiety disorders warrant more attention relative to arthritis and other chronic pain conditions. This is the first study to investigate pain and personality disorders using a large sample representing the general population.
The data showed those with arthritis had significantly higher rates of several personality disorders, including depression, anxiety, panic and social phobia, and chemical dependencies. While arthritis had significant positive associations with depression, anxiety and other disorders, the magnitude of the correlations were smaller than found in previous studies.
Source: Associations Between Arthritis and Broad range of Psychiatric Disorders: Findings from a Nationally Representative Sample; Lachlan A. McWilliams, Ian P. Clara, Paul J. Murphy, Brian J. Cox and Jitender Sareen; Acadia University and University of Manitoba, Canada