As flu season approaches, the virus can not only affect people with pneumonia, fever and body aches, but according to several studies, it can also increase the risk of heart attacks, according to a Fox News report.
A team of researchers from the Netherlands reported that people who had the flu were six times more likely to have a heart attack a week after the flu than a year before or after. Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen (ECCMID).
As the American Heart Association (AHA) said on its website, a report showed a sharp rise in cardiovascular-related deaths and influenza epidemics occurring at the same time.
However, another study published in 2020 found that among more than 80,000 American adults hospitalized with the flu from 2010 to 2018, one in eight patients developed sudden and serious heart complications.
“A lot of studies show that the rate of serious heart disease and heart attack increases after a person is infected,” Dr. Aaron Klatt, chief of medicine and infectious diseases at NASA’s Mount Sinai South in Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital. “With a fever.”
“Although the mechanism is not entirely clear, it may be an inflammatory response to the influenza virus that can lead to severe consequences—another good reason why the influenza vaccine is recommended for adults,” Claude added.
“When someone has a fever, it creates additional stress on the body,” Dr. Frederick Davis, co-chief of emergency medicine at Northwell Health Long Island Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, told Fox News Digital. “During injury, this can lead to a higher temperature and increased heart rate, making your heart work harder.”
“This added stress has been found to lead to increased heart complications, increased heart attacks, and worsening heart failure after the flu,” Davis continued. .”
Health experts said that when a person has a fever, the body goes into inflammation to fight the virus.
Medical experts at the University of California have explained on the university’s website that this causes blood clotting, increased blood pressure, and sometimes swelling or scars in the heart. This may create additional risks for people with a history of cardiovascular problems.
“If you have heart disease, fatty deposits called plaque build up in your arteries,” the UCLA website says. “Additional pressure from the virus can cause the plaque to rupture, leading to a heart attack or stroke.”
A 2021 report published in the Journal of the American Heart Association also found that getting the flu vaccine may reduce the risk of a common type of heart attack in people age 60 and older.
Davis explained to Fox News Digital that when a person is recovering from the flu, it’s important to be aware of certain signs that indicate a possible heart attack. He continued: “Shortness of breath can occur with minimal exertion after other viral symptoms have improved.”
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend getting the influenza vaccine, especially for people with coronary artery disease or other blood vessel diseases that cause atherosclerosis to help prevent heart problems caused by the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine.
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