Flu shots found to reduce risk of cardiovascular events

Making sure you get that flu shot might save you from more than a couple of lousy days in bed.

In a recent analysis of studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association it was found that people with heart disease had a lower risk of death if they received flu vaccination. The effect was even more pronounced in those who had recently had a heart attack.

The review combed through six studies; five published and one unpublished, for a total of 6735 patients. The mean age of patients was 67. It found that those who had stable heart disease and received the flu vaccine had a 36 per cent decrease in relative risk of a cardiovascular event. For patients who had experienced a heart attack in the past year, relative risk was decreased 55 per cent. Overall, relative risk of death in patients studied was decreased by 19 per cent in those vaccinated.

“In our meta-analysis of 6735 patients with varying degrees of cardiovascular risk, influenza vaccination was associated with a significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events,” wrote the authors. “The greatest treatment effect was seen among the highest-risk patients with more active coronary disease.”

The review found no major discrepancies in results between the six studies, but did note further research is required for a more concrete conclusion, as literature on the subject is sparse.