Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection
05:21

A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection

Published on: August 14, 2019

Influenza vaccines for preventing coronary heart disease

Tymen Keller1, Viola B Weeda, Carlo J van Dongen

  • 1Vascular Medicin, Academical Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, Postbus 22660, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1100 DD. t.t.keller@amc.uva.nl

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 23, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Influenza vaccination may reduce coronary heart disease risk, but current evidence is limited. More research is needed to confirm the benefits of flu shots for cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Immunology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Influenza vaccination is a potential strategy for reducing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
  • Existing evidence supporting this link is limited, and the magnitude of potential benefit remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in both primary and secondary prevention of CHD.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized clinical trials comparing influenza vaccination to placebo or no treatment.
  • Searched major databases (Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE) and contacted pharmaceutical companies for published and unpublished data.
  • Independent data extraction and quality assessment by two reviewers.

Main Results:

  • Two trials involving 778 participants were included.
  • Limited cardiovascular events (39 deaths, 35 myocardial infarctions) resulted in imprecise estimates of treatment effects.
  • The available data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.

Conclusions:

  • While some studies suggest a significant effect, current data are inadequate to definitively assess the impact of influenza vaccination on coronary heart disease.
  • Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish the role of influenza vaccination in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes08:52

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes

Published on: July 26, 2019

An Optimized Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) Assay to Quantify Influenza-specific Antibody Titers06:34

An Optimized Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) Assay to Quantify Influenza-specific Antibody Titers

Published on: December 1, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Influenza01:27

Influenza

Influenza is an acute, highly communicable viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and is responsible for seasonal epidemics worldwide. Influenza A is the most prevalent type associated with widespread outbreaks and is subtyped based on two surface glycoproteins: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), as in H1N1. These glycoproteins are essential for viral infectivity, transmission, and immune recognition. Transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets and contaminated...
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures01:26

Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures

Effective preventive measures for coronary artery disease (CAD) focus on controlling modifiable risk factors, including cholesterol abnormalities and lifestyle changes.Cholesterol ManagementFirst, the Mediterranean diet and the American Heart Association advocate for maintaining low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL, with a more stringent recommendation of below 70 mg/dL for individuals at high risk. LDL cholesterol, often termed "bad cholesterol," can lead to the...
Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...
Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction01:30

Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): An Overview with Scientific InsightsCoronary Artery Disease (CAD), often referred to as C-A-D, is a prevalent blood vessel disorder classified under the broader category of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a pathological process characterized by the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques are composed of cholesterol, fatty substances, inflammatory cells, calcium, and fibrin, reducing blood flow to...
Vaccines01:21

Vaccines

Vaccines are among the most effective tools in preventive medicine, designed to prepare the immune system to recognize and combat infectious agents. By introducing antigens—substances that the immune system identifies as foreign—vaccines stimulate an adaptive immune response that leads to immunological memory. This immunological memory enables the body to mount a faster and more effective response upon future exposures to the actual pathogen.Vaccines can be categorized based on the type of...