Flu vaccination may lower heart attack risk: study

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