Using a statistical method called logistic regression, researchers from the Mayo Clinic calculated that adults with asthma appeared to have a 70% higher risk of developing shingles, compared with those without asthma.

They also found a link between atopic dermatitis and a higher risk of shingles, which occurred at a rate of 12% in patients with atopic dermatitis versus 8% of the controls.

“As asthma is an unrecognized risk factor for zoster in adults, consideration should be given to immunizing adults aged 50 years and older with asthma or atopic dermatitis as a target group for zoster vaccination,” Dr Young Juhn, a pediatrician and asthma epidemiologist who heads a Mayo Clinic lab, told Medical News Today.

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