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HF hospitalizations may increase during flu season
Activity related to influenza such as a fever, cough and/or sore throat and an unknown symptom source may be linked to an increase in hospitalizations for HF, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology.
“These data suggest that an increase in population levels of influenza activity is associated with an increase in hospitalizations for CV events, suggesting that addressing influenza activity may be valuable in efforts to prevent HF hospitalizations,” Sonja Kytömaa, MPH, research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues wrote.
Researchers analyzed data from the ARIC study of 3,541 patients who were hospitalized for MI and 4,321 patients who were hospitalized for HF from October 2010 to September 2014. Information in this analysis included monthly influenza-like illness activity, which included a cough and/or sore throat, a fever and no known cause of symptoms. Surveillance from the ARIC study was used to adjudicate the number of hospitalizations per month for HF and either probable or definite MI.
Of the patients in this study, women accounted for 47.3% of HF hospitalizations and 45.1% of hospitalizations for MI. In addition, 53.3% of HF hospitalizations and 57.4% of hospitalizations for MI were in white patients.
After multivariable adjustment, a 5% increase in monthly influenza-like illness activity was linked to a 24% increase in HF hospitalizations during the same month (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.11-1.38). This association was not statistically significant for hospitalizations for MI (IRR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.9-1.17).
Activity related to influenza in the months before hospitalization were not linked to either type of hospitalization.
An estimated 19% of HF hospitalizations could be related to influenza activity in months with high activity (95% CI, 10-28).
“Further studies are necessary to determine whether strategies to reduce influenza activity at the population level reduce the incidence of MI and HF hospitalizations,” Kytömaa and colleagues wrote. – by Darlene Dobkowski
Disclosures: Kytömaa reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.