Influenza vaccine could reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications

Angeles Cruz Martinez

Newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, May 17, 2022, p. eleven

Influenza vaccination has the potential to decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications. A recent study showed that in addition to protecting against the flu, due to its anti-inflammatory effect it offers this benefit for heart disease, said Luis Alcocer, president of the Mexican Institute of Cardiovascular Health.

In a conference on the occasion of the Month of Arterial Hypertension (May), he pointed out that in the last 30 years there has been practically no progress in the prevention and control of this condition.

In the case of Mexico, statistics indicate that a third of the adult population lives with high blood pressure; half are under treatment and of them, only half have the disease under control, that is, 25 percent of all those affected.

He said that if treatment coverage were increased to 70 percent of patients, a reduction in complications and deaths would be achieved. Worldwide, it is estimated that a measure of this type would increase the life expectancy of 39.4 million people.

Regarding the influenza vaccine, Alcocer said that the research found that the changes in the defense system caused by the biological contribute to a 75 percent decrease in the risk of heart attacks or cerebrovascular accidents (embolism), among others.

The investigation found that after a myocardial infarction, patients who had not been vaccinated against influenza had another event the following year, which was observed in only a third of those who had received the biological.

Regarding arterial hypertension, the specialist commented that since there are no symptoms, it is known as the silent killer, since patients generally find out that they live with this problem until cardiovascular complications appear.