Strange links: Flu puts you at increased risk of suffering a stroke

The surprising links between different diseases

This week: Flu and stroke

YOUR risk of stroke rises by 40 per cent within 15 days of catching flu – and you’re at a higher risk for a whole year afterwards, according to a 2019 study of 31,000 people by Columbia University in the United States.

"There are many theories why the two might be linked, but the main one is what’s known as the coagulation cascade," explains epidemiologist Professor Amelia Boehme, who led the study.

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"Infections and inflammation can trigger clotting – and clots cause ischemic stroke [the most common type of stroke that is caused by a clot blocking blood flow to the brain]."

So, what lesson should you take from the study?

"Get your flu vaccination," says Prof Boehme.

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