Flu vaccine reduces risk for heart attack, cardiovascular death
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Influenza vaccination was associated with a 20% reduced risk for cardiovascular death.
- Researchers said providers should target patients with CVD for vaccination to mitigate risks.
Influenza vaccination was linked to significant decreased risks for major cardiovascular events and death, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
“Differing viewpoints exist regarding the impact of influenza vaccination on CVDs,” Fatemeh Omidi, MD, an assistant professor in the department of cardiology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues wrote. “While certain observational investigations suggest a favorable correlation between influenza vaccination and the reduction in occurrences of cardiovascular incidents like acute [myocardial infarction (MI)], contrasting epidemiological studies propose the limited efficacy of influenza vaccines.”
The researchers said an updated and comprehensive review on the association between influenza vaccination and CVD outcomes is “imperative.” So, they conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of five studies with 9,059 patients who were randomly assigned to receive either a standard intramuscular influenza vaccination (n = 4,529) or intramuscular placebo (n = 4,530).
Overall, there were 517 cases of major cardiovascular events among patients who received influenza vaccination, compared with 621 cases among those who received placebo (RR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.55-0.91).
The analysis also revealed a risk reduction for MI (RR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.97) and a 20% risk reduction for cardiovascular death events (RR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45-0.98) among vaccinated patients.
Such findings “underscore the potential impact of influenza vaccination in safeguarding against adverse cardiovascular outcomes among vulnerable patient populations,” the researchers wrote.
They highlighted several possible mechanisms behind the findings. For example, influenza infections can weaken the immune system and make it susceptible to secondary infections, which “can exacerbate cardiovascular conditions,” Omidi and colleagues wrote.
“Influenza vaccination's role in preventing these secondary infections may indirectly contribute to the reduction in CVDs,” they wrote.
The researchers added that influenza infections likely cause systemic inflammation, which can contribute to the progression of CVDs and atherosclerosis.
“By targeting patients with recent CVDs for influenza vaccination, health care providers have a potential opportunity to mitigate the risk of cardiovascular death in a cost-effective and widely available manner,” Omidi and colleagues wrote. “Influenza vaccination programs could be tailored to prioritize this high-risk group, thus potentially reducing the overall burden on health care systems and improving patient outcomes.”
They concluded that further research is still needed “to elucidate the precise mechanisms driving this association and to explore the long-term impact of influenza vaccination on cardiovascular outcomes.”
Perspective
Back to Top
This research builds upon the expanding body of scientific literature on the cardiovascular risk associated with the flu. This study presents an important meta-analysis that underscores the effectiveness of a simple intervention, an influenza vaccine, in reducing cardiovascular events, cardiovascular deaths and myocardial infarction.
It’s important that primary care physicians educate their patients, especially those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, that an influenza vaccine can prevent death and heart attacks.
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts