I know most understand what the title
means, but I cringe every time I read some of the titles like this
one from Medical News Today - “Flu vaccine may reduce risk of
death for type 2 diabetes patients.” We will all die
someday, but we don't know when. These titles make it sound like we
might live forever.
The flu vaccine may reduce the
likelihood of being hospitalized with stroke and heart failure in
people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research. The study,
from scientists at the Imperial College London, also found patients
who received the influenza vaccination had a 24 per cent lower death
rate in the flu season compared to patients who weren't vaccinated.
The team, who published their findings
in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) studied 124,503 UK
adults with type 2 diabetes between 2003 and 2010. Around 65 per
cent of these patients received the flu vaccine. The scientists
found that, compared to patients who had not been vaccinated, those
who received the jab had a 30 per cent reduction in hospital
admissions for stroke, 22 per cent reduction in heart failure
admissions and 15 per cent reduction in admissions for pneumonia or
influenza. Furthermore, people who were vaccinated had a 24 per cent
lower death rate than patients who were not vaccinated.
The team also found a 19 per cent
reduction in hospital admissions for heart attack among vaccinated
type 2 diabetes patients during the flu season, however this finding
was not statistically significant.
Dr Eszter Vamos, the lead author of the
study from the School of Public Health at Imperial, said: "Most
flu deaths every year occur in people with preexisting health
conditions such as type 2 diabetes. This study suggests the vaccine
may have substantial benefits for patients with long-term conditions.
Not only might it help reduce serious illness such as stroke - and
possibly heart attack - in high-risk individuals, but it may also
reduce the risk of death in the flu season.”
Currently more than one-third of people
with diabetes do not receive their flu vaccine year-by-year in
England. By increasing the number of people receiving influenza
vaccine annually, we could further reduce the risk of severe illness
not addressed by other measures.
Type 2 diabetes results in a person
being unable to control their blood sugar properly and affects around
2.7 million people in UK. People with the condition are at high risk
of cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke,
possibly due to high blood sugar levels damaging blood vessels.
Furthermore, flu infection has been found to increase the risk of
heart attack or stroke in patients with cardiovascular disease,
although scientists are unsure why.
In the UK the NHS offers the annual flu
vaccine to children and adults with underlying health conditions such
as type 2 diabetes, as well as to all over-65s and pregnant women.
Professor Azeem Majeed, co-senior
author from the School of Public Health at Imperial added: "There
are few studies looking at the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine
in people with diabetes. Although there have been questions
surrounding the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in recent years,
this research demonstrates a clear advantage for people with
diabetes. The findings of the study illustrate the importance of flu
vaccine in reducing the risk of ill-health and death in people with
long-term conditions. The flu vaccine is available free to these
patients from GPs and pharmacists, and patients with diabetes should
ensure they receive the vaccine every year."
In the study, the team looked at a
representative sample of 124,503 patients with type 2 diabetes from a
number of GP surgeries in England. They then tracked these patients
over a seven-year period, and monitored the number of hospital
admissions in this patient group for heart attack, stroke, heart
failure, pneumonia, and influenza. They also looked at the number of
deaths. The team then adjusted their figures for demographic and
social factors, as well as existing health conditions.
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