Flu Vaccine Prevents Death Among Patients With HF
Individuals with heart failure (HF) who regularly receive an annual influenza vaccine—and who do so earlier in the season—have a lower risk of death, according to a new study published by the American Heart Association (AHA).1
“Influenza can be very serious or even fatal for patients with heart failure because heart failure patients are often older than 65, have compromised circulation and other health complications, and infection may exacerbate heart failure symptoms,” the AHA wrote.2
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Because of this risk and the knowledge gap of how the influenza vaccination affects patients with HF, the researchers conducted a nationwide study in Denmark that included 134,048 participants aged older than 18 years and had been diagnosed with HF between January 1, 2003, and June 1, 2015.
The data were collected from nationwide registries, which showed that the influenza vaccination rate had increased from 16% in 2003 to 52% in 2015.
The researchers found that the vaccination was associated with an 18% reduced risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death.
“Annual vaccination, vaccination early in the year (September to October), and greater cumulative number of vaccinations were associated with larger reductions in the risk of death compared with intermittent vaccination,” the researchers wrote.1
—Colleen Murphy
References:
1. Modin D, Jørgensen ME, Gislason G, et al. Influenza vaccine in heart failure: cumulative number of vaccinations, frequency, timing, and survival: a Danish nationwide cohort study [published online December 10, 2018]. Circulation. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.036788.
2. Regular flu shots may save heart failure patients’ lives [press release]. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; December 10, 2018. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/regular-flu-shots-may-save-heart-failure-patients-lives?preview=460c. Accessed December 10, 2018.