Flu and pneumonia vaccines vital in prevention of respiratory infections, linked to lower heart failure deaths
Flu and pneumonia vaccines may do more than just protecting you from infections. These shots are associated with lower rates of death from heart failure in hospitals, according to a study that examined data on nearly 3 million Americans. Heart failure reduces the heart's ability to do its job: pumping blood around the body.
Some of the symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, and coughing. The condition could make activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or carrying groceries challenging. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 6.5 million adults in the US suffer from heart failure.
Evidence has suggested that respiratory infections like flu and pneumonia may worsen heart failure. Viral infections can trigger inflammation -- body's response to infection -- which may damage and weaken the heart. "Pneumonia and flu vaccines are vital to preventing these respiratory infections and protecting patients with heart failure," study author Dr Karthik Gonuguntla of the University of Connecticut said.
The new coronavirus is an example of a respiratory infection impacting the heart. "The Covid-19 pandemic has shone the spotlight on the importance of vaccination to prevent respiratory infections, particularly for people with diseases like heart failure," he explained. "Although many people have rejected common and safe vaccines before Covid-19, I am optimistic that the pandemic has changed perceptions about the role of immunizations in safeguarding our health."
The researchers said that only a few studies have looked at the links between shots against respiratory infections and heart failure. In other words, they wanted to investigate if vaccinated individuals are less like to die from the heart condition. Dr Gonuguntla and his team studied data from over 2.9 million heart failure patients who were hospitalized between 2010 to 2014. The average age was 70 years. They sourced information from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a public inpatient database that covers more than 95% of the US population, according to the team.
First, the team noted the rates of flu and pneumonia vaccinations among patients listed in the database. Next, they compared death rates between vaccinated and their unvaccinated counterparts. Only 1.4% of patients in the study had each received their flu and pneumonia shots. As for death rates from heart failure, it was 1.3% among those who received the flu vaccine and 1.2 % in those who were vaccinated against pneumonia. For their unvaccinated counterparts, the fatality rates were higher: it stood at 3.6% each for both the infections, the researchers said.
Dr Gonuguntla said: "Our study provides further impetus for annual immunizations in patients with heart failure. Despite advice to do so, uptake remains low. Although large administrative databases like the NIS are prone to containing some errors, the data indicate that there is some distance to go before reaching 100% coverage."
Besides, a study that looked at 20 years of data on vaccines found them "remarkably safe." "With such an impressive track record, vaccines are rightly considered as one of the greatest achievements of biomedical science and public health," the researchers wrote in their study. In rare cases, flu shots can trigger a reaction that can be resolved.
The study is presented at ESC Congress 2020.