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Vaccines are in the lead for many of us right now, whether it is because the flu and the covid season are on our doors or because it is a political subject with hot buttons. But new research by the American College of Cardiology has highlighted a subject that does not draw attention - vaccines and vaccines and heart disease .

"Vaccination against transmissible respiratory diseases and other serious illnesses is essential for people with heart disease, but obstacles exist to guarantee that people are informed of vaccines to obtain, how much they get them and why they are important," said Paul Heidenreich , MD, FACC, chairman of the concise clinical orientation writing committee of ACC (CCG), in a press release .

He refers to the fact that people with heart disease run a higher risk of infection, hospitalization and even death when exposed to respiratory viruses. However, research shows that only 30% of primary care physicians discuss vaccination status with their patients, which is precisely why the ACC team has gathered these vaccination recommendations for people with heart disease.

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Why heart disease makes respiratory viruses more risky:

Heart disease is responsible for 1 out of 5 deaths In the United States, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The most common form of heart disease is coronary disease (CAD), which is caused by the accumulation of plaque in the walls of the artery which reduces blood flow to the heart and can cause a heart attack. Other types of heart disease is heart valve, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, pericardium and arrhythmia.

When your body obtains an infection, such as a respiratory virus, your immune system comes into play, which generally triggers an inflammatory reaction, neurologist Kamakshi Lakshminarayan , MD, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Minnesota, told the American Heart Association (AHA).

She was talking about a study she conducted which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association , which explored how acute infections affect triggers of cardiovascular disease (MCV).

"The infection seems to be the trigger to change the finely adjusted balance in the blood and make us more prone to thrombosis or the formation of clots," she explained. "It is a trigger for blood vessels to be blocked and puts us to risk serious events such as the heart attack and stroke."

For a person with heart disease, it is sure to assume that the risk is even greater.

In relation: Taking 1 common medication could prevent 100,000 heart attacks per year, research reveals research .

5 vaccines you should get if you have heart disease:

Due to the increase in cardiovascular risk that accompanies such infections, the ACC recommends to people with heart disease receive the following five vaccinations.

1. Fluing

"An annual influenza vaccine is recommended so that all adults reduce cardiovascular morbidity, cardiovascular mortality and death all causes of causes," the press release said. If you are over 50, the ACC advises you to get the nasal version of the flu vaccine.

To put this recommendation in perspective, a 2018 study found that the risk of having a heart attack was six times higher in the week following an infection against the confirmed flu.

In addition, a 2020 study concluded that almost 12% of adults who obtained the flu had a net cardiovascular event. Among these, acute heart failure represented 6.2% of events and an acute ischemic heart disease of 5.7%.

2. Pneumococcal

The pneumococcal vaccine is a single blow that protects against bacteria which cause pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections. The ACC recommends it for adults 19 or over with heart disease.

According to AHA , the risk of heart attack or stroke is considerably increased during the year after an infection of pneumonia, especially in the elderly. But what is more alarming is that "the risk of a heart event after pneumonia remains about 2 x higher than that of uninfectable individuals up to 10 years," they said.

3. COVID-19

“For the 2024-2025 season, all adults with heart disease have been recommended to receive the COVVI-19 seasonal vaccine. The frequency of future vaccination could change, but vaccination will probably be beneficial for people with heart disease, "the press release said.

"The advantages include a reduction in the risk of infection, a severe infection, a death, a heart attack, a pericarditis / myocarditis induced by COVID-19, a stroke induced by COVID-19 and atrial fibrillation and long symptoms of very long," he continues.

At this stage, a study in February 2025 revealed that the infections coid was linked to the "rapid" growth of the plate in the coronary arteries.

"Inflammation after COVID-19 can cause continuous growth of the plate, especially in high-risk and not calcified plates", author of the study Junbo ge , MD, professor and director of the cardiology department at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said in a press release . "Patients with SARS-COV-2 infection have an increased risk of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome and stroke up to a year."

4. RSV

The ACC recommends a single dose of the RSV vaccine for all adults aged 75 and over, as well as for adults aged 50 to 74.

AHA Also thaw the vaccine because, as they explain, “the more serious RSV cases can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It can also worsen chronic health problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOC) and heart failure. ”

5. Bardons

People with heart disease run a higher risk of developing shingles. In addition, becoming infected with the zona increases the risk of living a future cardiovascular event, as a heart attack or a stroke, by 30%, according to a AHA study .

However, "people who receive a vaccine for zona have a risk of 23% of 23% of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure and coronary diseases, according to a study of more than a million people published in the European Heart Journal "Said the European Cardiology Society .

Therefore, the ACC recommends to adults aged 50 or over receive two doses of the zona vaccine.