Flu quadruples risk of stroke in next 28 days, Aussie meta-analysis finds
SARS-CoV-2 infection also emerged as a significant trigger for both stroke and MI.
Patients with influenza have a 4.7-fold increased risk of stroke in the 28 days since initial infection, according to a new meta-analysis.
Published in Cardiovascular Research, the systematic review and meta-analysis also found that the risk of AMI may increase fivefold after a flu infection.
It examined 48 studies published between 1978 and 2024, finding high-certainty evidence linking flu to stroke and moderate-certainty evidence linking it to AMI.
SARS-CoV-2 also emerged as a significant trigger for both stroke and AMI in the weeks following infection, said the researchers from University of Melbourne and Royal Children’s Hospital.
