Changes in temperature and flu season bring with it its own set of health issues. Now a new study has posed that the flu and other flu-like illnesses can also be dangerous for your heart health. According to the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, heart attack risk increases quickly after a flu-like illness, while stroke risk rises slower.
People with heart disease and those who have had suffered a stroke seem to be at higher risk for developing serious complications from catching the flu. Heart disease is one of the most commonly-occurring chronic conditions during flu season.
What the Study Discovered
Researchers examined the relationship between the flu, heart attacks and strokes, all occurring more frequently during winter months, by looking at New York state public health data from 2004 to 2015. They focused on adults who were hospitalized or came to the emergency department for stroke, heart attack or “flu-like illnesses.” The study found that strokes and heart attacks increase during times of high flu-like illness rates, with a “time lag” occurring only for strokes.
Boehme, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the department of neurology at Columbia University in New York City explains,
“We found that if someone’s going to have a heart attack, it’s going to occur within seven days of the flu-like illness, during the acute phase. With stroke, we see an increased risk of seven to 15 days after, similar to heart attacks. But with stroke, there is an additional higher-risk period after 30 days.”
A similar study done in 2018 found that the risk of heart attack was 6 times higher within a week of confirmed flu infection. These findings were most pronounced for older adults and those experiencing their first heart attack.
Heart Disease and the Flu
In general, respiratory infections are thought to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by causing inflammation, which can lead to the development of blood clots. The influenza virus and S.pneumoniae, the most common pneumonia causing bacteria, can also have harmful effects on the heart muscle.
Infections tend to put added stress on your heart, forcing it to work harder. Your body’s efforts to fight the infection also trigger unhealthy changes inside your arteries, such as releasing chemicals that can make blood more likely to clot, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Older people are seen to be more at risk since as people age, having more than one medical condition becomes more common. Older people hospitalized with pneumonia can face four times their usual risk of a having a heart attack or stroke or dying of heart disease in the month following the illness.
Flu Symptoms to Look out for
The signs and symptoms for the flu include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Body aches
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Runny or stuffy nose
Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. Others may be infected with flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
Flu Vaccines for Heart Disease
In general, annual flu shots are the best way to prevent yourself from getting infected with the flu or pneumonia. For people with existing heart conditions, flu vaccinations become all the more important. Vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events icon external icon
Flu shots are approved for use in people with heart disease and other health conditions. The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) or the nasal spray vaccine, is an option for people who are not pregnant and who are 2 through 49 years old. However, people with some chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease) should generally not get LAIV. An inactivated or recombinant influenza vaccine can be used (but one should be selected that is appropriate for the age of the person getting vaccinated).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people ages 65 and older receive two different vaccines— PCV13 (Prevnar 13) and PPSV23 (Pneumovax). If you’re in that age group and have already had your one-time Pneumovax shot, the CDC recommends getting a Prevnar 13 inoculation a year later.
The study conducted also observed that “in the years where the vaccine effectiveness was higher, overall, the number of people who had influenza-like illness and the number of people who subsequently had strokes and heart attacks after influenza-like illness was lower.”
Take Away
The study highlights the potential link to life-altering or life-ending events. The study reinforces the importance of broadening the perspective to other things outside of traditional cardiovascular risk factors that might make patients vulnerable. More research into this would help us to better understand the relationship the flu and heart disease.
It is also an important wakeup call for everyone to get a flu shot and encourage their loved ones to do the same. With COVID-19 still in swing in many places, taking care of your general health has never been more essential.
