Flu shots reduce chances of blood clots by 26%

People who receive their annual flu shot have lower risk of developing a blood clot, a new study says.

The research says that people under the age of 52 seem to reap more benefit of their annual flu shot. The study has been presented at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions.

These findings are the first to show such an effect and they may help to find why the flu shot decreases the risk of cardiovascular events in people with coronary artery disease.

“These findings are quite helpful for me with patients in the clinic, especially those who had a blood clot,” said Dr. Ann Bolger during a news conference on Sunday.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is considered responsible for develping a blood clot in a vein and such a clot can prove life-threatening if it breaks off and goes to the lung.

Some experts say that the flu vaccine has the ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease, but it was unclear why.

According to Bolger, “ There was an interesting data prior to flu increased cardiovascular deaths, but we couldn’t find where from and this interesting observation seems to suggest that if you get the flu shot and avoid infection, you have lesser chances of developing clots in the veins and arteries.”