A new report confirms that the risk of heart disease and stroke increases after infection with the viruses that cause influenza, Covid-19, herpes zoster (shingles), hepatitis C, and the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS (HIV).
Data from 155 studies conducted over decades on the links between viral infections and cardiovascular disease show that increased risks are not limited to the period immediately following infection, but may continue for years.
Researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association that some types of viral infections carry a higher risk than others.
Those infected with influenza were four times more likely to have a heart attack, and five times more likely to have a stroke during the following month, compared to healthy people.
Covid-19 patients were three times more likely than uninfected people to have a heart attack or stroke within 14 weeks after infection, with increased risks continuing for up to a year.
The data showed that the risk of new heart disease resulting from blocked coronary arteries was 60% higher after infection with HIV, 27% higher after infection with hepatitis C, and 12% higher after infection with shingles.
The risk of stroke increased by 45% with HIV infection, 23% with hepatitis C infection, and 18% after shingles infection.
Herpes-associated cardiovascular disease risks remained high for up to 10 years.
“Shingster affects about one in three people. Therefore, the higher risk associated with this virus translates into more cases of cardiovascular disease,” study leader Dr. Kosuke Kawai of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a statement.
The researchers pointed out that viruses interfere with the normal function of blood vessels, cause inflammation, and make blood more susceptible to clotting, all of which are factors that increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
“Preventive measures against viral infections, including vaccination, may play an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Kawai said.
“Prevention is especially important for adults who already have cardiovascular disease or who have risk factors for it,” he added.