Flu Can Raise Chances of Heart Attack

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"We believe influenza vaccination should be encouraged wherever indicated, especially in those people with existing cardiovascular disease. Further evidence is needed on the effectiveness of influenza vaccines to reduce the risk of cardiac events in people without established vascular disease," Hayward's team concluded.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that flu shots appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

"It has long been hypothesized that influenza infection results in an acute inflammatory response that can also trigger the onset of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in vulnerable individuals," Fonarow said.

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A number of observational studies have suggested more cardiovascular events occur in patients with influenza than otherwise expected and that individuals who receive annual flu shots are much less likely to have fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events or be hospitalized for heart failure, he said.

"Guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology strongly recommend that all individuals with cardiovascular disease receive annual influenza vaccination," Fonarow said.

However, Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean and distinguished service professor at the School of Public Health at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, said the role of flu shots in preventing heart attack has not been proven conclusively.

"The role of severe respiratory infections in precipitating myocardial infarctions in vulnerable individuals is well-established," Imperato said. "However, the role of influenza vaccines in protecting such individuals is less clear from the limited scientific evidence available."

More information

For more information on flu, visit the Flu.Gov.

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