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A systematic review and meta-analysis of 155 studies evaluated the literature on the link between any viral infection and the odds of heart attack and stroke risk. Authors found influenza and COVID infections raised such risks as much as 3-to-5-fold in the weeks following the initial infection, as published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Also noted in a related news release on the study, overall, the findings suggest acute and chronic viral infections are linked to both short- and long-term risks of cardiovascular disease. Data on short-term risks showed patients studied were 4 times as likely to have a heart attack and 5 times more likely to have a stroke in the month after laboratory-confirmed influenza. Likewise, patients were 3 times more likely to have a heart attack and 3 times as likely to have a stroke in the 14 weeks following COVID infection, with the risk remaining elevated for 1 year. In studying literature on long-term risk (average of more than 5 years), authors found a 60% higher risk of heart attack and 45% higher risk of stroke in people with HIV infection, as well as a 27% higher risk of heart attack and 23% higher risk of stroke in people with hepatitis C infection. Additionally, they found a 12% higher risk of heart attack and 18% higher risk of stroke in those who had shingles—a condition that affects about 1 in 3 people in their lifetime.
Prevention for multiple health concerns: Viral infections can increase the risk of cardiovascular events through direct and indirect mechanisms, according to the article, and the authors suggest preventive measures for such infections could be helpful tools for decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.