The flu vaccine is a candidate to be a good friend of the heart because it helps reduce the risk of heart attack and, more generally, deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. This is indicated by the analysis of data collected in previous research and relating to over 9 thousand patients, published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“These findings highlight the potential of influenza vaccination as an additional strategy in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” observe research coordinators Fatemeh Omidi and Tala Sarmastzadeh, both from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. However, they add, “to clarify the beneficial effects observed, further research is needed on the mechanisms underlying what we saw.”
The research analyzed in the study, the most recent of which dates back to August 1, 2023, concerns a total of 9,059 patients, 4,529 of whom had received the flu vaccine and 4,530 a placebo. Among those vaccinated, a significant reduction in cardiovascular events was observed (517 versus 621 who had received the placebo).
If these data are confirmed, the influenza vaccine may also be recommended to reduce the effects of cardiovascular diseases. So far, flu vaccination has been recognized as effective in preventing seasonal flu, particularly in people at risk such as the elderly. If the vaccine is confirmed as an effective weapon against cardiovascular diseases, the researchers observe, it will be an additional tool to reduce the negative effects of hypertension, ischemia, atrial fibrillation, stroke, endocarditis and other cardiovascular diseases, which together are among the first causes and diseases and deaths in the world.
However, further research will be needed, considering that there are divergent points of view regarding the impact of influenza vaccination on cardiovascular diseases.
While some observational studies suggest a favorable correlation between influenza vaccination and reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular events, epidemiological studies indicate limited effectiveness.
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