Heart Events Observed for ~12 Percent of Adults Hospitalized With Flu

TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza, 11.7 percent have an acute cardiovascular event, according to a study published online Aug. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Eric J. Chow, M.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues examined acute cardiovascular events and determined risk factors for acute heart failure and acute ischemic heart disease in adults hospitalized with influenza during the 2010 to 2011 through 2017 to 2018 influenza seasons. Of the 89,999 adults with laboratory-confirmed influenza, 80,261 had complete medical record abstractions and International Classification of Disease codes available.

The researchers found that 11.7 percent of the participants had an acute cardiovascular event. Acute heart failure and acute ischemic heart disease were the most common such events (6.2 and 5.7 percent, respectively). In adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza, older age, tobacco use, underlying cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal disease were significantly associated with a higher risk for acute heart failure and acute ischemic heart disease.

“Increasing rates of influenza vaccination, especially among those with cardiovascular risk factors, is essential in preventing infection and potentially attenuating influenza-related cardiovascular complications and adverse outcomes,” the authors write.

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