Can the flu increase my heart attack risk?
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There has been a lot of talk about the severity of this flu season, and I recently heard that influenza also can trigger a heart attack. Should I worry?Although it's not certain how an influenza infection can trigger a heart attack, one theory is that the increased inflammation from an infection leads to more blood clotting. In addition, the stress of a fever or low oxygen levels can place extra strain on a potentially diseased heart. The good news is that previous studies have shown that getting the influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of illness and death from heart disease, which is just one more reason to get your annual flu shot.
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