Two major studies have revealed that anyone who has a heart attack should get a flu shot within 72 hours, no matter what time of year it is as it reduces the risk of death from another heart attack.

Cardiologists discovered that vaccinating patients with heart disease against the winter bug reduced their risk of dying from a second heart attack within the next year by almost half – the period during which the risk is greatest.

“Flu puts stress on your arteries and makes your blood thicker,” as explained by professor Naveed Sattar, “so if you have heart disease it could tip you over the threshold for a heart attack.

“And the risk of it happening again is greatest in the first six to 12 months. This evidence suggests it’s a good idea to not wait until the winter, and get a flu jab straight away.”

Patients who have had a heart attack or are being treated for heart disease should get the yearly winter flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available. However, for some people, this can mean months of waiting, during which time they are at risk of another attack. While flu season is at its peak in the winter, illnesses can strike at any time. The results imply that all heart attack victims should be routinely vaccinated while still recovering in the hospital.

Around 3,000 heart attack sufferers from eight countries, including the United Kingdom, were studied by researchers at Orebro University in Sweden.

Within three days of being admitted to the hospital, half of the patients received a flu shot and the other half received a placebo.

Over the next 12 months, cardiac-related deaths were nearly 40% fewer in the flu vaccine group than in the placebo group.

The second study, conducted by a Peruvian research team, looked at data from almost 4,000 patients and discovered that the flu vaccine reduced the risk of dying from a second heart attack by 47%.

Both studies indicated equal rates of second heart attacks, implying that while the jab does not prevent them, it can reduce the damage they cause.

‘This is interesting and could be relatively easy to implement in general practice,’ commented Professor Martin Cowie, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, who was not involved in the research.

Image Credit: Getty

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