Flu vaccination may lower heart attack risk: study
OTTAWA. September 21. KAZINFORM British researchers have found in their new study that preventing the flu can lower the chances of heart attacks in some people, suggesting there may be a link between respiratory infections and heart attacks; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
According to Monday's online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the researchers, led by Dr. Niroshan Siriwardena of the University of Lincoln, with co-authors Stella Gwini and Carol Coupland, looked at 78,706 patients aged 40 years or older from 379 family practices in England and Wales.
Of the total, 16,012 had had a heart attack and 8,472 of the patients had been vaccinated.
The researchers found that early vaccination for flu - between September and mid-November - was associated with a 21 percent reduction in the rate of heart attacks compared with late vaccination after mid-November, which was associated with a 12 percent reduction.
"Our findings reinforce current recommendations for annual influenza vaccination of target groups, with a potential added benefit for prevention of acute myocardial infarction in those without established cardiovascular disease," the study said.
However, pneumococcal vaccination was not linked to a reduction in the rate of heart attacks, the researchers found; Kazinform cites Xinhua.
See www.xinhuanet.com/english2010 for full version