GSK Survey Reveals Alarming Lack of Awareness About Shingles

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently released survey highlights a significant gap in understanding shingles risk among adults aged 50 and over. The survey, which involved 3,500 participants from 12 countries, including 500 from India, revealed that 83.5 per cent of Indian respondents underestimate their risk of developing shingles.

Globally, shingles affect up to 1 in 3 people in their lifetime, and in India, the disease is often underestimated, with many people believing it to be essentially harmless. However, shingles can cause significant pain, described as aching, burning, stabbing, or shock-like.

The survey found that 86 per cent of participants globally underestimate their risk of developing shingles, with 26 per cent believing that 1 in 100 adults are at risk, and 17 per cent thinking it is 1 in 1000. In India, 22 per cent of English-speaking respondents and 18 per cent of Hindi-speaking respondents believe that 1 in 1,000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.

The survey also revealed a lack of awareness about the pain caused by shingles, with 1 in 10 adults surveyed globally unaware of the most common symptoms of the disease. In India, 55 per cent of English-speaking respondents and 76 per cent of Hindi-speaking respondents believe that shingles are essentially harmless.

After the shingles rash, a person can experience post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a long-lasting nerve pain lasting for several weeks or months. However, the survey found that only 14 per cent of participants globally believe that shingles symptoms can last longer than 6 weeks. In India, only 8 per cent of English-speaking respondents and 4 per cent of Hindi-speaking respondents think that shingles symptoms last for more than 6 weeks.

Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, emphasised the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50. "Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort. In this Shingles Awareness Week, we encourage everyone to talk to their doctor about this agonising condition and how to prevent it."

The survey was conducted as part of Shingles Awareness Week, an annual global awareness week dedicated to addressing the lack of knowledge about the risks and severity of shingles. The week aims to encourage informed conversations about shingles between adults, particularly those aged 50 and over, and their healthcare professionals.