7 risk factors that make flu more deadly

A CDC study published in 2020, for instance, found that 1 out of 8 older patients hospitalized with flu had a serious cardiac event (and the study looked at a big group of patients — 80,000

overall). Another study, published in 2018, found that you are six times as likely to have a heart attack during the week after being diagnosed with influenza as at other times.   In both

studies, a history of heart disease and stroke boosted the likelihood of a sudden heart complication. Doctors think the flu triggers an inflammatory response in your body, which in turn can

create dangerous clotting in your blood vessels.  “It’s like collateral damage in a war,” Schaffner says. “For up to a month after you recover from the flu, your body’s inflammatory response

is still ginned up and having an effect on your body, putting you at increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”   The flu vaccine is key here. In a recent study, adults over 50 who got a

flu vaccine during a hospitalization had a 28 percent lower risk of a heart attack over the next year. They also had a 47 percent lower risk of a mini stroke, an 85 percent lower risk of

cardiac arrest and a 73 percent lower risk of overall death. 3. RISK FACTOR: YOU HAVE DIABETES  Diabetes weakens your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off disease, says

Joseph Gastaldo, M.D., system medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth in Columbus. Influenza can also make it more difficult to control your blood sugar levels: They may rise

in response to the infection, or they may fall if you don’t feel like eating while you’re sick. Meanwhile, your symptoms can make it difficult for you to recognize the signs of high or low

blood sugar.  “It’s very easy for diabetics [who get the flu] to become dehydrated or have issues with their kidneys,” Gastaldo says.  Diabetics are three times as likely as other people to

die of flu-related complications, and six times as likely to be hospitalized. The good news is, getting a flu vaccine reduces your risk of hospitalization by up to 79 percent, studies show.

  4. RISK FACTOR: YOU HAVE A LUNG DISEASE OR ASTHMA If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, the flu can cause your airways to

swell and become blocked with mucus, making it harder to breathe. If you have asthma, even if it’s controlled, the virus will likely inflame your airways and trigger asthma attacks.  Adults

with both COPD and asthma are at greater risk of developing pneumonia or another respiratory infection as a result of the flu. You can end up hospitalized or with severe and permanent damage

to your lungs.   Getting the flu vaccine can help. It’s associated with a 38 percent reduction in influenza-related hospitalizations among patients with COPD, according to a 2019 study

published in the journal Chest.  5. RISK FACTOR: YOU HAVE A CHRONIC CONDITION OR A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM  In addition to things like heart and lung disease, many other conditions increase your

chance of a poor outcome from flu. Those include liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, metabolic disorders and neurological conditions.