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Vienna – Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes and influenza are linked. The first week after a diagnosis of influenza, according to a year in the New England Journal of Medicine published study particularly critical. The flu shot could reduce the risk. Austria's Verband der Impfstoffhersteller (ÖVIH) raised the issue in a press release on Wednesday.
The risk of a heart attack during the first seven days following an influenza infection is thus six times higher than the previous year. The risk was particularly high in older patients, those who had contracted B virus and those who had had their first infarction. In recent years, several studies have been conducted on the subject. Why does a flu cause an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, but has not been completely understood, the statement said.
Basically, all systemic infections and the resulting inflammation result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. For the flu, however, other factors are likely to be added. One hypothesis is that the virus leads to a clot of existing atherosclerotic plaques (deposits) and thus causes acute coronary occlusion, that is, blockage of the coronary arteries. Other potential causes include reduced anti-inflammatory activity or increased circulation of macrophages (macrophages – "phagocytes" of the immune system) in the arteries.
As of 2015, another analysis of several trials has shown not only that heart attacks are more common in patients with influenza, but also that vaccination can reduce the risk. The calculated efficacy of the vaccine was therefore slightly less than 30%. Cardiovascular deaths are also likely to be reduced by vaccination. According to Cochrane Library analyzes, 2.3% of deceased patients had a bias in the vaccinated group, but more than double (5.1%) in the unvaccinated group. (APA)
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