Recent research shows that patients with heart disease should get their flu shots regularly. In fact, it lowers the risk for heart attack and stroke. Patients with heart problems are more prone to the effects of influenza than those without heart ailments. Fortunately, getting a flu shot can prevent this.
During the flu season, death rate from influenza is higher with people who have heart problems. In fact, research show that when a person has a heart problem, the effects of flu is more dangerous than anyone who has any other chronic illness.
In a study published at Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that having flu shots regularly lowers the risk of complications of influenza to vulnerable patients who have heart problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, respiratory arrest and even death. It lowers the odds by one third.
What is the link between getting flu shots and cardiovascular illness? When a person gets influenza or the flu, there would be a huge immune response in the body to protect the body from the effects of the disease. It will then create massive inflammation in the body hence the plaque inside the vessels become rickety and can cause blockage.
Furthermore, if the body is suffering from flu, the lungs undergo changes as caused by the virus. Hence, blood oxygen levels drop and the heart with make a double effort. Aside from that, the virus has the capability of injuring heart muscles that can lead to cardiac arrest or heart failure.
Flu shots are recommended to people more vulnerable to the virus like children, adults more than 50 years old and anyone who has serious diseases like cardiovascular illness, asthma or any lung disease. Prevention is better than cure, so having the flu shots can prevent serious complications brought by the virus.
