Research Links Flu Infection to Heart Attacks

If catching the flu wasn't bad enough, there's new evidence suggesting that people who are infected with the virus have an increased risk of heart attack.

Statistics show that 5% to 20% of the U.S. population will catch the flu virus in any given year. While many people confuse the flu with the common cold, the former is more severe than the latter. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized from flu-related complications, and thousands of people die from the virus every year. To further compound the problem, a new study has found that people who catch the flu have an increased risk of heart attack.

Researchers from Canada's Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario found found that people who caught the flu virus from 2009 to 2014 were six times more likely to suffer a heart attack for one week after they were diagnosed than their counterparts who didn't catch the flu. The study also found that most flu-related deaths involve older men and women over 65 years. This study analyzed 332 patients who were hospitalized for heart attack after being diagnosed with the flu.

"Our findings are important because an association between influenza and acute myocardial infraction reinforces the importance of vaccination," said study author Dr. Jeff Kwong in a statement regarding the team's findings.

So, why does the flu virus increase the risk of heart attack? This question remains open to debate, though some medical experts theorize that it's because of the virus's ability to increase bodily inflammation. When infected with the flu, a person's body undergoes many changes, one of which is increased inflammation. This inflammation may cause already strained blood vessels to constrict to the point of causing a heart attack.

You can protect yourself from the flu, and potentially a heart attack, by following some basic safeguards. First and foremost, make sure you get vaccinated for the flu. While not a fool-proof means of protection, experts say the flu vaccine is an important measure to protect against infection.

Washing your hands with warm water and soap, especially after touching public surfaces, can also lower your risk of infection. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this is the most important thing you can do to protect against infection.

Finally, make sure you are getting plenty of sleep. While it staying up late at night may sound harmless enough, it can take a toll on your body and immune system, increasing the risk of infection.

Don't let the flu virus ruin your week. By getting vaccinated, washing your hands and sleeping for at least seven hours each night, you can protect yourself from infection.