This study, conducted on 5,000 patients and presented at the 2018 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA), specifies the cardiac risk associated with pneumonia. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center (Salt Lake City) reveal that patients diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia are 60% more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke (CVA) than patients with viral pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is therefore much more dangerous for the heart, a valuable reminder for doctors and the monitoring of cardiac risk in patients with pneumonia.
“We've always known that pneumonia was a major heart risk factor within 90 days of diagnosis,” says Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, a cardiovascular health researcher at the Intermountain Heart Institute. "But until this study, we didn't know which type of pneumonia is most dangerous to the heart."
The study evaluated 4,792 patients with pneumonia diagnosed and hospitalized between January 2007 and May 2014. Each patient was followed for 90 days and monitored for the occurrence of major cardiac events including heart attack, stroke, heart failure heart failure or death. Data analysis shows that:
- bacterial pneumonia was diagnosed in nearly 80% of patients and 34% of these participants (1,270 patients) experienced a major cardiovascular event within 90 days of pneumonia diagnosis;
- viral pneumonia was diagnosed in 21% of patients and a major adverse event was reported in 26% (258 patients) of them, within 90 days.
Why is bacterial pneumonia more dangerous for the heart? The probable underlying cause is that bacterial pneumonia leads to more severe inflammation of the arteries and this inflammation destabilizes the atherosclerotic plaques that have accumulated over the years. The unstable plaque breaks away from the artery wall and causes a blockage that can lead to heart attack, stroke, or death.
Caregivers should be more aware of the greater cardiovascular risks associated with respiratory infections such as pneumonia, and in particular bacterial pneumonia, the researchers suggest. "A patient diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia should be treated more aggressively and monitored closely for any signs of heart attack or stroke."
People with known atherosclerosis must also be particularly attentive to the measures to be taken to prevent respiratory infections. The researchers recommend that they get the flu shot, wash their hands properly year-round, and don't smoke.
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