Burden of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in Jinan, China: incidence, recurrence, and direct medical costs, 2018–2023, a population-based retrospective cohort study
Zemei Zhou·Fuzhen Wang·Shuai Meng·Lin Tang·Siyu Liu·Liu Q·Xiaoxue Liu·Zundong Yin·Chong Liu·Xiaoqi Wang
Herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) cause substantial clinical and economic burdens, especially in older adults, yet real-world data from China are limited. Using the Jinan Regional Health Information Platform, we conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study (2018–2023) to estimate HZ and PHN incidence (per 1,000 person-years [PY]), recurrence rates, and direct medical costs and factors associated with costs. The study included 166,869 patients with HZ. The coverage-ad