Acute cardiovascular events associated with influenza in hospitalized adults

CDC funded a study of adults hospitalized with influenza, the goal being to characterize acute cardiovascular (CV) events and pinpoint risk factors for acute heart failure (aHF) and acute ischemic heart disease (aIHD) in this population. Pulling data from the U.S. Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network for the influenza cycles occurring 2010–11 through 2017–18, researchers identified more than 80,250 adults with laboratory-confirmed influenza who also had complete medical record abstractions and available ICD codes for recognizing acute CV events. Among the sample, 11.7% of patients did experience such an event—including 6.2% who suffered aHF and 5.7% who developed aIHD. Factors significantly associated with elevated risk for those two conditions within the population in question included older age; tobacco use; and underlying CV disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. To guard against acute CV events associated with influenza, the study authors recommend high rates of vaccination against influenza—especially when patients already have underlying chronic conditions.