Vaccine: X (Dec 2023)

Impact of herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia on health-related quality of life in Miyun District of Beijing, China: An EQ-5D survey

  • Dan Zhao,
  • Luodan Suo,
  • Li Lu,
  • Jingbin Pan,
  • Xinghui Peng,
  • Yanfei Wang,
  • Xinghuo Pang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15
p. 100415

Abstract

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Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) cause considerable morbidity, especially in elderly adults, but the burden is under-recognized in mainland China. Methods: We conducted a case registry and follow-up study of HZ in Miyun District, Beijing from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2018. Registered HZ cases were followed-up for pain to 365 days. The first 50 patients with HZ in each age group (≤14, 15–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60– 69, 70–79, ≥80 years) and all those with PHN completed the EuroQoL five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with HZ and PHN. Ratings using the EQ-5D dimensions, visual analogue scale (VAS), health utility score (HUS) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost were compared among age groups. Results: In total, 2008 patients with HZ were followed for a median 22 days (interquartile range[IQR] = 20–90), with an estimated incidence of 4.39 per 1000 person-years. We identified 122 (6.08 %) PHN cases. The median age of patients with PHN (65 years, IQR = 55–71) was older than that of patients with HZ (54 years, IQR = 43–64) (P < 0.001). The median duration of pain was 170 days (IQR = 144–355.5) for PHN and 15 days (IQR = 9–25) for HZ. All 95 patients with PHN and 319 sampled patients with HZ completed the EQ-5D survey. The median QALY loss of HZ increased from 0.004 (IQR = 0.001–0.02) in patients 50–59 years old to 0.02 (IQR = 0.01–0.06) in those ≥ 80 years old (P < 0.01). After weighting for age, the mean QALY loss per HZ case was estimated at 0.02 (standard deviation [SD] 0.04). The mean QALY loss per PHN case was 0.13 years (SD 0.12). Conclusions: HZ and PHN caused a substantial burden, especially among adults aged ≥ 50 years in Miyun District, Beijing, China. Vaccination should be considered to alleviate the burden of this painful disease.

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