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According to a recent Spanish study, being vaccinated against the flu every year would reduce the risk of stroke.
Strokes are among the 10 leading causes of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2019, nearly 6.55 million people died from stroke. A scourge that is difficult to treat. However, the results of a new study published in the medical journal the American Academy of Neurology, demonstrated that the flu vaccine would reduce the risk of suffering a stroke.
A large-scale study
For their observational study, lead author Francisco J. de Abajo, MD, MPH, PhD. from the University of Alcalá in Madrid and his team of scientists, focused their research on the most common stroke, called ischemic stroke. The latter occurs because of a blockage of blood flow to the brain.
In order to carry out their research, the scientists examined a Spanish primary care database between 2001 and 2015. The people identified were aged between 40 and 99 years old and had suffered a first stroke within a 14-year period.
In sum, from a cohort of 3,757,621 patients, 14,322 people had a stroke and 71,610 people who did not have a stroke. Subsequently, the scientists inquired whether these patients had received the flu vaccine at least 14 days before the stroke. In total, 41.4% of those who had a stroke had received the flu vaccine, compared to 40.5% of those who had not had a stroke.
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“These people were 12% less likely to have a stroke”
For more precise results, the researchers were forced to adjust certain parameters. Indeed, those who got vaccinated were more likely to be older and to develop other disorders, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These two pathologies would therefore make them more likely to suffer from a stroke. After the team of researchers adjusted for these factors, they found that people who had received the flu shot were 12% less likely to have a stroke than those who had not.
“These results show that this is all the more reason for people to get the flu shot every year, especially if they are at increased risk of stroke (…) Being able to reduce your risk of stroke by taking such a simple step. This is very compelling,” the study author added.
Also according to Francisco J. de Abajo, as the study was observational, it does not prove that the flu vaccine reduces the risk of accident va. On the other hand, the results of this work demonstrate that there is indeed an association. Additionally, other factors that were not measured could influence the risk of stroke. In addition, during their study, the researchers also examined whether the vaccine against pneumonia could have an effect on the risk of stroke. However, no protective effect was found.
“This observational study suggests that those who get the flu shot have a lower risk of stroke. To determine whether this is due to a protective effect of the vaccine itself or other factors, additional research are therefore necessary”, concluded the scientist.