Sepsis of blood infection related to heart attack, stroke

MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) – New research shows that survivors of serious blood infections, known as sepsis, are at increased risk of stroke and heart attack for four weeks after leaving hospital.

The study included about 42,300 sepsis patients in Taiwan. Of these, 22% died within 30 days of admission to the hospital.

Of the survivors, 1,012 had a cardiovascular event, 831 had a stroke and 184 had a heart attack within 180 days of leaving the hospital.

The risk was highest shortly after leaving the hospital, with more than a quarter (26%) of heart attacks or strokes occurring within the first seven days and 51% in 35 days , the researchers reported.

Sepsis patients aged 20 to 45 years were at a higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those over the age of 75, according to the study published Sept. 10 in the CMAJ (Journal of the Canadian Medical Association).

Similar findings were made in a Danish study, the researchers said in a press release.

"Based on our study (Han Chinese) and the study conducted in Denmark (European) which reported similar results for two different ethnic groups, it is likely that these results can be generalized to different populations," said Dr. Chien-Chang Lee. Department of Emergency Medicine at Taiwan National University Hospital in Taipei, and colleagues wrote.

Investigators have called for further research on different patient populations.

Sepsis causes about 8 million deaths worldwide each year, the study authors said.

More information

There is more about sepsis at the US National Institute of General Medical Sciences.