The study found that people who got the flu shot had a 12% lower risk of stroke.
Annual flu vaccination is associated with a reduced risk of stroke.
According to a study recently published in the journal neurology Getting the flu vaccine every year may reduce the risk of stroke.
“Studies have shown that having the flu increases the risk of stroke, but there is still research into whether getting the flu vaccine can help prevent stroke,” said study author Francisco. • J. de Abajo, M.D., Ph.D., University of Alcala, Madrid, Spain. “This observational study suggests that people who have been vaccinated against influenza have a lower risk of stroke. needs more research.”
The study focused on ischemic stroke caused by restricted blood flow to the brain, the most common type of stroke.
To collect data for the study, the researchers searched a Spanish medical database of individuals who were at least 40 years old and had their first stroke in the past 14 years. Each stroke patient was compared with her five others of the same age and sex. The database included 71,610 of her who had no stroke and 14,322 of her who had a stroke.
The researchers next looked to see if patients had received the flu vaccine at least 14 days before their stroke, or before that same day for patients who hadn’t had a stroke.
A total of 41.4% of those who had a stroke had been vaccinated against influenza, compared to 40.5% of those who had not had a stroke. But those who received the injection were more likely to be older and to have other conditions that made them more susceptible to stroke, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Those who did were found to be 12% less likely to have a stroke than those who did not.
The researchers also investigated whether the pneumonia vaccine had any effect on the risk of stroke, but found no protective effect.
“These results are another reason why people get the flu shot every year, especially when they are at high risk of stroke,” de Abajo said. It is very compelling that we can reduce the risk of
See also: “Influenza vaccination and risk of ischemic stroke: A population-based case-control study,” Sara Rodríguez Martín, Diana Vareira Hernandez, Miguel Gil, Alberto García Redo, Laura Izquierdo Esteban, Francisco José de Abajo, 7 September 2022, neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201123
Because this study was observational, it does not prove that getting the flu vaccine reduces the risk of stroke. Show associations only. There may be other unmeasured factors that may influence stroke risk.
This study was funded by the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Prince of Asturias University Hospital, Madrid and the Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid.
