ArticleBMJ open2026
Epidemiology and risk factors of postherpetic neuralgia worldwide: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Risk prediction models for postherpetic neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Acupuncture-Based Interventions for Sleep Outcomes in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPostherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a debilitating complication of herpes zoster (HZ) that significantly impairs quality of life, disrupting sleep, daily activities and work capacity. Globally, PHN represents a major public health challenge, with marked heterogeneity in its epidemiological patterns across different regions and demographic groups. The escalating incidence of both HZ and PHN underscores the urgent need to elucidate modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, which is critical for implementing targeted prevention strategies and optimising therapeutic interventions. Although previous studies have examined PHN risk factors, there remains a paucity of comprehensive, up-to-date systematic analyses evaluating its global epidemiological trends and associated determinants. This protocol presents the methodology of a planned systematic review to assess an updated global estimate of PHN epidemiology and synthesises critical risk factors associated with PHN prevalence or severity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. We will search MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, CNKI, Wanfang and CBM for English/Chinese studies published from inception through April 2025. Eligible studies will include adults (≥18 years) with HZ or PHN that report PHN prevalence/incidence or relevant risk factors (eg, age, vaccination status, acute pain severity, comorbidities). Two reviewers will independently screen records, extract data (including study characteristics, demographics, risk factors and pain metrics) and assess risk of bias using Joanna Briggs Institute tools and ROBINS-I. Random-effects meta-analyses (R V.4.0) will pool PHN prevalence (logit-transformed Wilson scores) and ORs for risk factors, with subgroup analyses by geography, income level, clinical/demographic factors. Heterogeneity (I²≥50%) will trigger meta-regression or narrative synthesis. Sensitivity analyses will address bias robustness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics committee approval is not required. The results of the review will be published through an open access journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024510329.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.