New research presented Monday at 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure demonstrates a potential link between flu vaccines and reduced hospitalization risk for heart failure patients. The findings may prompt health policy makers to dedicate efforts to improve vaccine uptake.
According to Kazem Rahimi, DM, deputy director of the University of Oxford's George Institute for Global Health in the United Kingdom, global flu vaccination rates in heart failure patients is low, ranging from less than 20 percent in low- and middle-income countries to between 50 and 70 percent in high-income countries, like the U.K.
"This may partly be because there is no strong evidence to support the recommendation in these patients. In fact, there is limited evidence to suggest that vaccination may be less effective in heart failure patients than in the general population because of their blunted immune response," said Dr. Rahimi.
This new study, however, suggests the opposite is true. Based on a study of nearly 60,000 patients, the flu vaccine was associated with a 30 percent lower risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases, 16 percent lower risk of hospitalization due to respiratory infections and 4 percent lower risk of all-cause hospitalization between 31 and 300 days following inoculation.
The findings suggest "vaccination reduces the likelihood of an infection which could in turn trigger cardiovascular deterioration," according to Dr. Rahimi.
To learn more about the study results, click here.
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