Flu and Covid-19 increase the risk of heart attack and stroke

Los Angeles (dpa) – Influenza and coronavirus infections markedly raise the short-term risk of acute cardiovascular disease, according to a UCLA-led review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The risk of a heart attack or a stroke rises to around four to five times following an influenza infection, the team led by Kosuke Kawai from the University of California in Los Angeles reported in a study published in late October. After a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the risk of both heart attack and stroke is roughly tripled, while other viruses are linked to smaller but longer-lasting risks. It is already known that human papillomaviruses, hepatitis B viruses and other viruses can trigger cancer. "The link between viral infections and other non-communicable diseases, such as cardi