What should heart patients pay attention to when getting a flu vaccine?
In response to concerns about whether to get a flu vaccine, especially during the current flu epidemic, among many cardiovascular patients, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, Director of the National Heart Institute, Bach Mai Hospital, emphasized: "Patients with cardiovascular disease should get a flu vaccine every year. This has been clearly recommended by prestigious cardiovascular associations such as the American Heart Association, the European Heart Association, and the Vietnam Heart Association. Flu vaccines reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 15-45%. Vaccination is recommended for all cardiovascular patients, including those with heart failure or after coronary intervention, patients with hypertension, heart valve disease, and cardiomyopathy.
Bach Mai Hospital doctors examine cardiovascular patients. (Photo: BD).
Dr. Thu Hoai added that cardiovascular patients need to see a cardiologist before getting vaccinated to ensure that their cardiovascular condition and blood pressure are being treated stably. Note, do not get vaccinated if blood pressure is too high or too low or if the patient is having a cardiovascular emergency or decompensated heart failure. Inactivated vaccines should be injected to ensure safety and avoid live attenuated vaccines.
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According to Dr. Hoai, seasonal flu can aggravate symptoms in patients with heart failure and increase the risk of cardiovascular complications in both healthy people and patients with underlying cardiovascular disease.
Seasonal flu can cause fever, dehydration and increased oxygen demand when infected with flu, causing the heart to work harder, easily leading to acute decompensated heart failure in patients with heart failure, increasing the risk of arrhythmia in cardiovascular patients. In addition, patients with high blood pressure or heart failure are often prescribed vasodilators and diuretics by doctors, when infected with flu, patients may become dehydrated and have vasodilation due to fever, so it is necessary to consult a cardiologist immediately to adjust these medications.
Seasonal flu can also increase the risk of cardiovascular complications in both healthy people and especially patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. In some cases, seasonal flu can lead to acute myocarditis, causing acute arrhythmias, rapidly progressing acute heart failure, the disease will be more dangerous in patients with chronic cardiovascular disease.
Furthermore, seasonal flu often causes systemic inflammatory reactions, increasing the risk of blood clotting disorders, which will increase the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
During the current flu "season", Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai recommends three main issues that patients need to pay attention to: Medication regimen, lifestyle and diet.
With the medication regimen, patients need to maintain cardiovascular medication: Take the correct dose, do not stop on your own (including blood pressure medication, anticoagulants, statins). Most importantly, patients need to understand what medications they are taking, what their main effects are, and monitor them appropriately.
Some drugs commonly used to treat flu symptoms such as pain relievers and fever reducers, especially NSAIDs (ibuprofen...) or corticosteroids can worsen symptoms of heart failure and high blood pressure, so you should consult a cardiologist and infectious disease specialist before using them.
Flu can cause high fever, strong vasodilation and dehydration, so if a cardiovascular patient is taking vasodilators or diuretics, close monitoring is needed and the cardiologist managing the treatment should be notified for timely adjustment.
Regarding daily activities, cardiovascular patients need to get a flu vaccine every year; Prevent infection by wearing a mask, washing hands, and avoiding crowded places. At the same time, rest scientifically.
In addition, it is necessary to have a diet, strengthen immunity by supplementing vitamin C (orange, guava), zinc (seeds, meat), garlic; Maintain fluid balance, drink enough water (1.5-2 liters/day); and control blood pressure by eating a low-salt diet, limiting animal fat, increasing green vegetables and fish.
"In case a cardiovascular patient has the flu, the patient needs to comply with the treatment regimen of the infectious disease doctor, consult the cardiologist who is managing the treatment about the cardiovascular regimen being used to see if cardiovascular medication needs to be adjusted or not. Re-examine the cardiovascular system immediately if there are symptoms such as prolonged rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling...", Dr. Thu Hoai noted.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/benh-nhan-tim-mach-co-nen-tiem-vaccine-phong-cum-192250213160801864.htm
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