Seasonal Influenza Infections and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

The authors analyzed vital statistics and emergency department visit data for cardiovascular deaths during non-pandemic influenza seasons from 2006 to 2012 in New York City. They found a 2.3% increase in cardiovascular disease mortality, a 2.4% increase in ischemic heart disease mortality, and a 5.5% increase in myocardial infarction mortality in those 65 years and older associated with an increase from the 25th to 75th percentiles in the number of influenza-related emergency department visits in the previous 21 days.