Re: Flu Shot Lowers Heart Attack Risk By 19%
Flu Shot Lowers Heart Attack Risk By 19%
People who have the seasonal flu vaccine (flu shot) have a 19% lower risk of having a first heart attack, say researchers from the University of Lincoln, England, in a study that appears in
CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). It appears that the earlier the vaccine is taken in the autumn the better the benefits are, the authors wrote.
It has been suggested there may be an association between respiratory infections and heart attacks - both increase in incidence significantly in the winter months when flu and pneumonia are prevalent.
The British researchers . . . found a link between those who had been vaccinated and a significant reduction in heart attack risk. The pneumococcal vaccination was not linked to any additional benefit, the authors added.
Those who were vaccinated between September and mid-Novembers (early vaccinations) had a 21% heart attack reduction risk, while patients who received the vaccination later had a 12% reduction risk.
The authors wrote (in conclusion):
Influenza vaccination but not pneumococcal vaccination is associated with a reduced rate of first acute myocardial infarction. This association and the potential benefit of early seasonal vaccination need to be considered in future experimental studies.
"Influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination and risk of acute myocardial infarction: matched case-control study"
A. Niroshan Siriwardena, Stella M. Gwini, Carol A.C. Coupland
Published online ahead of print September 20, 2010
CMAJ 10.1503/cmaj.091891
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/201808.php
