Perceived stress was not linked to shingles risk overall
Among 99,686 participants, comparing the highest and lowest stress quarters gave a hazard ratio—a measure of relative risk over time—of 1.00.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of 99,686 participants in the All of Us Research Program
- What changed:
- Shingles risk showed no clear difference between the highest and lowest stress quarters (hazard ratio 1.00)
- The catch:
- Shingles cases absent from electronic health records would be missed
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The observational cohort study followed 99,686 participants in the All of Us Research Program using surveys and electronic health records. Participants reported their perceived stress on a 10-question scale. Health records identified 1,122 new cases of shingles, also called herpes zoster.
After accounting for age, sex, other illnesses, socioeconomic factors and lifestyle, the researchers found no overall association between perceived stress and shingles risk. Among participants with low social support, however, high stress was associated with higher shingles risk, with a hazard ratio of 1.65. The researchers found no such association among participants with medium or high social support.
Why it matters
The study addressed whether stress and social support were associated with differences in shingles risk beyond age and other health factors.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish cause and effect. It measured perceived stress through a questionnaire and identified shingles cases through electronic health records.
- Social support
- Perceived psychological stress
- Herpes zoster
- Herpes zoster incidence
- 10-item Perceived Stress Scale
- Humans
The paper
Perceived psychological stress, social support, and the incidence of herpes zoster in a cohort study
University of California, Los Angeles; University of Minnesota
Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, Nov 1, 2026, Open access, CC BY-NC-ND
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