Receiving a vaccination in the late summer or fall could help reduce the risk of a first heart attack by an average of 19%, according to a new study by British researchers.
They examined 78,706 patients in England and Wales for their study. A total of 8,472 of them had received a flu vaccine and 16,012 had had a heart attack. Patients who had received a flu vaccine early in the season—sometime between September and mid-November—lowered their risk of heart attack by 21%. The benefit for late-season vaccine recipients was lower, with a roughly 12% reduced risk, according to the study.
Heart attacks typically increase during the winter. It has been suggested there may be a link between heart attack and respiratory infection, according to a press release from the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which published the study on Monday. Researchers say that further study into the link could lead to changes in recommended timing and targets for flu vaccine efforts.
Source: McKnights
1 comment:
Heart attacks are a definite threat. Since you can't exactly prevent a heart attack in the moment, the next best thing is for seniors to have a medical alarm. I wrote about how having a medical pendant has allowed my grandparents to remain independent. You can read my post here: http://www.seniorsafety.com/wordpress/index.php/2010/09/20/keeping-your-independence-with-medical-alert-systems/
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