WASHINGTON — A bout of pneumonia might land you in the hospital for a couple of days, but the impact on your heart could last for years.
A Canadian-led team of researchers studied records of 3,813 pneumonia patients and followed them for over a decade. They found there was an elevated risk of heart disease that lingered long after the pneumonia went away.
“For me, what is interesting from this study is there is a persistent risk of cardiovascular disease that extends beyond that three days that we would attribute to acute pneumonia,” says Dr. Steven Kariya, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at Suburban Hospital.
He says heart attacks are often seen in patients who are admitted to hospitals with pneumonia, but it was long thought that the danger abated after about 30 days.
Reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers said evidence of a long-term connection between pneumonia and heart disease is strong. But they did not go into the reasons behind the link.
Kariya says the study “seems to suggest there may be an association for reasons we may not be completely aware of.”
He says a lot more study is needed, but in the meantime a little extra vigilance can’t hurt, with patients monitored a bit more closely for signs of trouble for five, maybe even ten years after a hospitalization for pneumonia, depending on the specifics of the case.
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the United States. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a million Americans are hospitalized each year for pneumonia.
Kariya says it’s far too early to say if a massive pneumonia vaccination program would result in a decline in heart disease deaths. But he notes the two pneumonia vaccines currently in use are highly effective. They are recommended for children under five and adults over 65, as well as anyone with an underlying medical condition like asthma or diabetes.
