Flu Shot May Halve Heart Attack Risk in Middle Aged With Narrowed Arteries

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130822091021.htm

Aug. 22, 2013 — The flu shot seems to almost halve the risk of heart attacks in middle aged people with narrowed arteries, finds research published in the journal Heart.

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A recent respiratory infection was more common among those patients who'd had a heart attack and doubled the risk.

But after taking account of other influential factors, such as age, high cholesterol, and smoking, flu did not increase heart attack risk. But vaccination against the infection did seem to be protective, decreasing the risk of a heart attack by 45%.
Previous research suggests that infections such as flu might encourage blood to thicken or prompt an inflammatory response in arteries that are already diseased, so sparking the development of a blockage.

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