COVID-19, other infections linked to major cardiovascular risks—researchers push for vaccination
Adults are three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke in the 14 weeks after a COVID-19 infection, according to new findings published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.[1] The flu, researchers noted, is associated with even greater short-term cardiovascular risks.
The study’s authors performed a meta-analysis of 155 different studies, tracking outcomes after several different viral infections. The studies were published from 1997 to 2024. While 137 of them focused on one specific viral infection, the remaining 18 evaluated multiple infections at once.
Overall, the group found that COVID-19, the flu, HIV, hepatitis C and varicella zoster virus—which causes shingles—are all associated with significant risks of coronary heart disease and stroke.
“The elevated risks for cardiovascular disease are lower for HIV, hepatitis C and herpes zoster than the heightened short-term risk following influenza and COVID,” lead author Kosuke Kawai, ScD, an adjunct associate professor in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement. “However, the risks associated with those three viruses are still clinically relevant, especially because they persist for a long period of time. Moreover, shingles affects about one in three people in their lifetime. Therefore, the elevated risk associated with that virus translates into a large number of excess cases of cardiovascular disease at the population level.”
One of the biggest takeaways from the group’s research was the potential protection offered by vaccination. For example, one of the studies they examined concluded that a flu vaccine reduced a person’s risk of major cardiovascular events by as much as 34%.
“Preventive measures against viral infections, including vaccination, may play an important role in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Kawai explained. “Prevention is especially important for adults who already have cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease risk factors.”
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Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.