Influenza and pneumonia vaccinations are associated with fewer hospital deaths in patients with heart failure.
Influenza and pneumonia vaccinations are associated with fewer hospital deaths in patients with heart failure. That’s the result of a study in nearly 3 million Americans released today at ESC Congress 2020.
One out of five individuals will develop heart failure in their lifetime. An estimated 26 million people are affected worldwide. Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well at it should. It leads to a build-up of fluid in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and coughing, and impacts people’s quality of life, often requiring urgent hospitalisations.
Respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia make heart failure worse, and annual vaccinations are recommended.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shone the spotlight on the importance of vaccination to prevent respiratory infections, particularly for people with diseases like heart failure,” said study author Dr. Karthik Gonuguntla of the University of Connecticut.
Read more at European Society of Cardiology
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