Flu Shots Good for the Heart: Says Newly Presented Reports

Approaching the time of the year where many health care providers and government campaigns recommend the population receive the flu vaccine, the effort is meant to reduce illnesses and the spread of a disease that can risk well-being, productivity and even the lives of one's self or others. According to a pair of reports being presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2012 opening on Sunday, October 28th in Toronto, researchers are set to make a case that the administration of a influenza vaccine can also be a heart smart choice.

In the first study, researcher Dr Jacob Udell, a cardiologist at the Women's College Hospital and the University of Toronto, will relay some major additional benefits to receiving a flu shot when it comes to protecting the most vital organ in our bodies. According to Dr Udell, influenza vaccines can reduce the risk of a major cardiac event such as a stroke or heart attack by an estimated 50 percent and deaths related heart failure by 40 percent.

Dr Jacob Udell's study examined a group of 3,227 patients consisting of near equally of those without and with heart issues. Of the group, half received a flu shot and the another half received a placebo vaccine. Dr Udell strongly suggests, "For those who had the flu shot, there was a pretty strong risk reduction,".

A second study set to be Canadian Cardiovascular Congress relates to Dr Jacob Udell's research making a correlations between influenza vaccines and heart health. Dr Ramanan Kumareswaran and Dr Sheldon Singh, cardiologists of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre viewed the flu shot's impact on patients who required an implantable cardiac defibrillator or an ICD.

During two periods in late 2010 and another through the new year of 2011 until March, Kumareswaran and Singh examined a sample group of 230 patients with an ICD. In the group of patients between 70 and 74 years of age, it was determined that individuals given the flu shot had a reduced need for ICD therapies. Research concluded that 10.6 percent of flu shot-protected patients received at least ICD therapy compared to 13.7 percent for those without the flu vaccine.

For authors of both studies presenting their findings this week at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress on the request of conducting additional research. Notwithstanding additional research, the announcement that a flu shot has increased health benefits can be helpful to boost the case for encouraging the general popular to get immunized.