The research study found that individuals who got an influenza shot had a 12% lower threat of stroke.
Annual flu shots are linked to a lower danger of stroke.
According to research just recently published in the journal Neurology getting an annual flu vaccination might decrease the threat of stroke.
” Studies have shown that getting the flu increases your risk of having a stroke, but research study is still being gathered on whether getting the flu vaccine can help secure against a stroke,” said study author Francisco J. de Abajo, MD, MPH, Ph.D., of the University of Alcalá in Madrid, Spain. “This observational research study recommends that those who have an influenza shot have a lower threat of stroke. To identify whether this is because of a protective impact of the vaccine itself or to other factors, more research study is required.”
The most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke, which is brought on by a restriction in blood flow to the brain, was the topic of the research.
In order to collect information for the study, scientists took a look at a Spanish healthcare database for people who were at least 40 years old and had their very first stroke throughout the previous 14 years. Each stroke client was compared to five other individuals of the very same age and gender. The database included 71,610 individuals who did not suffer a stroke and 14,322 people who did.
The scientists then took a look at whether patients had gotten the influenza vaccination at least 14 days prior to the stroke, or prior to that very same date in the case of those who did not have a stroke.
A total of 41.4% of those who had a stroke had actually received the influenza shot, compared to 40.5% of those who did not have a stroke. However the individuals who got the shot were most likely to be older and to have other conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol that would make them more most likely to have a stroke. They discovered that those who received an influenza shot were 12% less likely to have a stroke than those who did not when scientists adjusted for those elements.
The scientists also looked at whether the pneumonia vaccine had any impact on the threat of stroke and discovered no protective result.
” These outcomes are yet another factor for individuals to get their annual flu shot, specifically if they are at an increased danger of stroke,” de Abajo stated. “To be able to lower your threat of stroke by taking such an easy action is really compelling.”
Reference: “Influenza Vaccination and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Population-Based Case-Control Study” by Sara Rodríguez-Martín, Diana Barreira-Hernández, Miguel Gil, Alberto García-Lledó, Laura Izquierdo-Esteban and Francisco Jose De Abajo, 7 September 2022, Neurology.DOI: 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000201123.
Because the study was observational, it does not prove that getting the influenza shot reduces the risk of stroke. It just reveals an association. There might be other elements that were not measured that might impact the danger of stroke.
The research study was moneyed by the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Prince of Asturias University Hospital in Madrid and the Institute of Health Carlos III in Madrid.
” Studies have actually shown that getting the flu increases your risk of having a stroke, however research is still being collected on whether getting the influenza vaccine can assist safeguard versus a stroke,” stated study author Francisco J. de Abajo, MD, MPH, Ph.D., of the University of Alcalá in Madrid, Spain. “This observational study suggests that those who have a flu shot have a lower risk of stroke. An overall of 41.4% of those who had a stroke had received the flu shot, compared to 40.5% of those who did not have a stroke. Given that the study was observational, it does not show that getting the influenza shot lowers the risk of stroke.