N
|
ew research suggests that flu vaccines can
help keep heart attacks and strokes at bay in people with hypertension.
Flu vaccinations may save the lives of those who are at high cardiovascular risk.
Although the flu is a common
illness, the burden of this condition in the United States is considerable.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), influenza results in up to 960,000 hospitalizations and up to 79,000 deaths every
year.
In the case of people with hypertension who
are already at risk of cardiovascular events, the flu can strain the immune
system and raise the riskof heart attacks and strokes.
Experts agree that "the single best way to protect against
the flu" is to get a vaccine early each year. The flu shot triggers the
formation of antibodies approximately 2 weeks after the vaccination, which
protects against infection with the virus contained in the vaccine.
Now, a team of researchers led by Daniel
Modin, a research associate of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, wondered
whether putting an end to the flu infection with the aid of vaccination would
protect against cardiovascular problems.
Modin and colleagues presented their findings
at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2019
together with the World Congress of Cardiology conference,
which this year takes place in Paris, France.
18% lower risk of death from
any cause
The team analyzed data on 608,452 people who
were 18–100 years old and had hypertension. The scientists followed the
participants during nine flu seasons, from 2007 through to 2016, comparing
those who had a flu shot with those who had not.
Throughout the follow-up period, Modin and
team looked at death from any cause, cardiovascular death, and death from a
heart attack or stroke.
The researchers also examined the link
between getting a flu shot before the flu season and death risk during the flu
season. They accounted for potential confounders, such as age, other medical
conditions, medications, and socioeconomic status.
The research
revealed an association between vaccination in the flu season and an 18%
reduction in relative risk of dying from all causes, 16% less relative risk of
dying from a cardiovascular event, and 10% lower relative risk of dying from a
heart attack and stroke.
"We show that influenza vaccination
may improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with hypertension,"
comments the study's first author.
"During the nine flu seasons we studied,
vaccine coverage ranged from 26% to 36%, meaning that many patients with high blood
pressure were not vaccinated. If you have high blood pressure,
it would be worth discussing vaccination with your doctor."
"Given these results,
it is my belief that all patients with high blood pressure should have an
annual flu vaccination."
Daniel
Modin
He adds, "Vaccination is safe, cheap,
readily available, and decreases influenza infection. On top of that,
our study suggests that it could also protect against fatal heart attacks and
strokes and deaths from other causes."
The researcher also explains the common link
between flu and cardiovascular events, saying that the immune reaction and
ensuing inflammation during
the flu may shake up a person's cardiovascular health.
Modin says, "Heart attacks and strokes
are caused by the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries leading to
the heart or the brain. After a rupture, a blood clot forms and cuts off the
blood supply."
"It is thought that the high levels of
acute inflammation induced by influenza infection reduce the
stability of plaques and make them more likely to rupture."
No comments:
Post a Comment