People who have heart diseases like atrial fibrillation are at higher risk of developing flu-related complications than are other people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). And cardiologists want to make sure their heart patients are protected from influenza complications that may result in hospitalization or even death.
10 cardiologists polled in an informal survey told us that they have had their flu shots. Nine out of 10 also told us their medical office staff had gotten flu shots — which in many cases were mandatory.
Healthcare providers are mindful that by getting a flu shot they're protecting not only themselves, but also their patients. “We aim for 100 percent of faculty and staff receiving the flu shot every year and generally come close to this,” said William T. Abraham MD, Everyday Health columnist, at Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, the Ohio State University, in Columbus.
“We do this mainly for the benefit of our patients, to prevent the spread of flu from healthcare workers to patients," he added.
Top 10 Reasons Heart Patients Should Get a Flu Shot
The majority of cardiologists polled, 8 out of 10, specifically recommend the flu shot to their patients.
We asked these cardiologists, who practice in different regions of the United States, their top reasons for making this recommendation.
Here is what they say:
- “Potentially avoid a heart attack or cardiac death” – Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- “Patients with heart disease who get the flu have higher risk for complications and poor outcomes, for example, increased risk of heart attack.” – William T. Abraham, MD
- “It has been shown to be potentially protective against a myocardial infarction [heart attack] — especially in the vulnerable patient.” – John D. Day, MD, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah
- “Lower risk of cardiac events; in patients with heart disease, the severity of the flu may be much higher, and complications resulting from the flu — such as pneumonia, dehydration, or even death — are more likely.” – Reena Pande, MD, MSc, Everyday Health columnist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- “Having the flu can worsen underlying heart conditions as well, such as congestive heart failure.” – Reena Pande, MD
- “Prevent flu in patients with poor cardiopulmonary reserve.” – Dmitriy N. Feldman, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York City
- “The elderly, the very young and those with chronic illness such as heart disease are at risk for severe complications from the flu and must be vaccinated.” – Kevin Campbell, MD, Wake Heart and Vascular, Raleigh, N.C.
- “Any illness causes undue stress on the heart, especially if you have heart failure. Heart failure patients have a difficult time when they get lung infections, bronchitis or pneumonia. Best is to prevent any additional illnesses to keep your heart health in check.” – Stephanie A. Moore, MD, Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, Boston
- “Prevent serious problems,” – Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD, Medical College of Virginia, VCU School of Medicine, Richmond
- “Patients with heart disease are often at higher risk of infections, including influenza. In addition, if they have poor heart function they have less reserve to fight off influenza that involves the lungs and drops the blood pressure throughout the body. The risks of the shot compared to the benefits in people with heart disease favor getting a shot once a year.” – T. Jared Bunch, MD, Intermountain Heart Institute
How to Get Over Fear of Flu Shots
Getting your yearly influenza vaccination not only protects you against the flu, but also is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and death, as some of the cardiologists noted above, and as reported in an October 2013 JAMA study of 6,735 patients over one flu season.
Yet each year only about 36 percent of U.S. adults get a flu shot.
If you or a loved one is reluctant to get the flu shot, consider a few pointers cardiologists give to their patients. Dr. Feldman strongly encourages his patients to get vaccinated.
Dr. Pande explains to her patients, “There are tremendous benefits to getting the flu shot, including limiting the likelihood of getting the flu in the first place, and having lower severity of flu symptoms should you get it despite the shot. There are specific benefits that have been shown in patients with heart disease.”
It is reassuring to note that the shot doesn’t cause the flu, but at the same time it doesn’t protect against the common cold, according to Ian Kronish, MD, in the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. “Some people may have a fear that the shot will make them sick,” he notes.
Flu shot fears like this are not based in fact. “Many patients think they will get the flu from the flu shot," says Dr. Moore. "There is occasionally an effect with a low grade temperature, aches and pains from the vaccination, but this is simply your body doing its job and reacting to the vaccination. That can be avoided by taking ibuprofen before your flu shot and perhaps again before you go to bed that evening.”
Moore adds, “Many people think the flu shot ‘recipe’ is incorrect for this year’s variant of flu that has been identified by the CDC. The reality is that even if the recipe is not 100 percent correct, you still get a lot of protection against many variations of the flu from the vaccination...so even if you get the flu it will be of shorter duration and less severe.”
When talking to patients who have moderate to severe heart disease, Dr. Bunch explains what happens if they get the flu. “Influenza can result in a severe drop in blood pressure and diffuse inflammation of the lungs that leads to respiratory failure. Even with a healthy heart, sometimes the infection can cause death. With a diseased heart the body’s ability to respond to the influenza is reduced and as such, survival is worse," he said.
In the end, getting the flu shot or not is a choice. “This is a personal decision. Like everything in medicine, I explain the risks, benefits, and alternatives — and give a personal opinion. At the end of the day, it is the patient’s choice," Dr. Day states.