Flu vaccination moderately reduces risk of stroke – Heilpraxis

Effects of influenza vaccination on stroke risk

When people oppose flu getting vaccinated also appears to provide moderate protection against the onset of a stroke to be connected. Apparently, flu shots could also offer an advantage here.

In a new study involving experts from University of Alcala in Spain, the association between vaccination against influenza and the risk of a first ischemic stroke in the general population has been studied. The results can be found in the journal “Neurology“to be read.

Detects and classifies hits

For their study, the researchers chose elderly participants 40 to 99 years old from a spanish Primary Care Database who had a record of at least one year and no history of stroke or cancer.

The team constituted a first cohort in which the cases of a ischemic stroke have been identified, which the professionals then either acardioembolic or non-cardioembolic classified.

For each case were randomized total five controls selected, which matched the cases exactly in terms of age, sex and date of stroke diagnosis (index date), explain the researchers.

In the study, participants were considered vaccinated if they at least 14 days before the index date, i.e. the stroke diagnosis, a get a flu shot had.

The team calculated so-called adjusted odds ratios, i.e. numbers that say something about the strength of a link between two characteristics, and their respective 95% confidence intervals using a conditional logistic regression.

The cohort of 3,757,621 people became a total 14,322 cases of ischemic stroke (including 9,542 non-cardioembolic cases and 4,780 cardioembolic cases) were selected for investigation. Moreover there was 71,610 suitable controls, report the experts.

41.4% Percentage of participants who had a stroke, and 40.5% the control group was vaccinated.

The researchers adjusted the data for factors that may be associated with both influenza vaccination and stroke risk, and in epidemiology such as known disturbing factors are.

Flu vaccination reduces risk of stroke

In the subsequent data analysis, for the two types of ischemic stroke studied in all analyzed subgroups (men, women, people under and over 65 years of age and people at medium and high vascular risk) by a vaccine against influenza a similar greatly reduced risk observed, reports the research team.

Comparatively studied Pneumococcal vaccination was not associated with a reduced risk of developing ischemic stroke, experts say.

Moderate protective effect after influenza vaccination

Overall, the results of the new study indicate that influenza vaccination with a moderate protective effect for a soon after vaccination ischemic stroke, the researchers conclude. (as)