Can the flu hurt your heart, or is it the shot?

What would it take for you to roll up your sleeve for a flu shot today?

There’s no doubt that this has been an especially nasty flu season, hitting those of all ages and even people who are extremely healthy.

But now the mainstream has another scare tactic for any holdovers out there. A message signed, sealed, and delivered right to all of those flu-shot refusers (people who know just how risky — and ineffective — that vaccine really is).

It’s the threat of a heart attack that can rear its ugly head as soon as a week after coming down with the flu.

Now, like a lot of what the mainstream tells us, there’s some truth to that warning. But there’s also something important that was left out.

And that is the danger of getting a heart attack from the flu vaccine itself.

A shot through the heart
We’ve known for some time now that having a respiratory infection — be it any virus that goes by any name — can up your risk of having a heart attack. Nothing new there.

And that danger can present itself in summer, winter, spring, or fall (more on that in a minute).

That, in fact, is the same point made by Canadian researchers in a study now making the media rounds. The only “special” thing to come out of this, however, is that they specifically looked at the link between influenza and heart attacks.

And here’s what they found: Out of a tad over 19,000 Canadians who tested positive for the flu, 332 went to the hospital with a heart attack during a two-year period. But this is where it gets tricky: The timing for those 332 heart attacks was all over the place, before the flu or even long after, and not necessarily connected to the illness.

Narrowing it down even further, the researchers managed to find 20 people who suffered heart attacks just a week after being diagnosed with the flu. Bingo! The flu-shot flag is once again being waved, and this time, it’s to save your heart.

Now, let’s stop right here, because there’s another little issue that no one’s talking about — how getting a flu shot may actually increase your chances of having a heart attack.

Six years ago, researchers at the Institute of Cardiology in Rome found that the vaccine can up your risk of a blood clot, elevate a protein which is an indicator of inflammation, and cause “inflammatory cardiovascular changes” that are known to damage your heart.

And even if you still think that it’s worth taking a chance with the shot, remember that its effectiveness this year is far less than usual — said to hover as low as the 10 percent mark.

But as I said, the flu isn’t unique to this risk — any kind of respiratory infection can do damage to your heart. As HSI panel member Dr. Mark Stengler explains it, reasons why range from toxins entering your blood due to an infection to the triggering of body-wide inflammation. Your blood may also be more likely clot during an illness.

The answer to all of this isn’t to run out for a risky flu shot, but, as Dr. Stengler says, rather to “take every illness — even a minor cold — seriously” and get the R&R needed to make a full recovery.

And whether you’re in sick bay or hoping to not land there, that means being sure to take a vitamin D supplement daily, along with vitamin C, zinc, selenium, olive leaf extract, and, of course, a high-quality probiotic.

And when it comes to dodging the flu (and lots of other infections!), that old-fashioned, tried-and-true advice about washing your hands will do a lot more to keep you flu-free than any shot will!

“Flu infection raises risk of heart attack in week after diagnosis” Helen Branswell, January 24, 2018, STAT, statnews.com