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• Focus on prevention •
Will you have trouble later this year convincing the last few holdouts in your practice that -- yes -- getting the flu shot really is a good idea? Maybe this'll help: A recent study suggests the same shot you give your older patients to ward off the flu bug may help safeguard them from other ills as well.
According to a large cohort study published in the April 3 New England Journal of Medicine, influenza vaccination of patients older than 65 was associated with reduced rates of hospitalization for cardiac and cerebrovascular disease.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in Minneapolis, tracked medical records for more than 286,000 seniors during the 1998 1999 and 1999 2000 flu seasons.
"In the elderly, vaccination against influenza is associated with reductions in the risk of hospitalization for heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and pneumonia or influenza as well as the risk of death from all causes during influenza seasons," the study authors concluded. "These findings highlight the benefits of vaccination and support efforts to increase the rates of vaccination among the elderly."
Among immunized senior citizens, the study found, the risk of being hospitalized for heart disease was 19 percent lower than that for their nonimmunized counterparts, while the risk of being hospitalized for stroke was as much as 23 percent lower. Researchers also documented a reduction in hospital stays for flu or pneumonia of as much as 32 percent in those who had been vaccinated.
Some clinicians have hypothesized that the influenza virus may alter clotting proteins and impair blood vessel function, thus increasing the likelihood of cerebrovascular or cardiovascular events. Therefore, protecting patients against infection with the virus would be expected to negate these risks.
Go to http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/348/14/1322 to read the study online.
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Copyright © 2003 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.