Adults Hospitalized With RSV Face Higher Cardiac Risk Than COVID or Flu Cases: Study

New Delhi: A recent study has found that adults hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection are more likely to experience heart-related complications than those admitted with flu or COVID-19. The research, led by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore, examined data from 32,960 adults hospitalized with RSV, flu, or COVID-19 across the country.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, compared the risk of cardiovascular events—including heart attacks, strokes, blood clots—and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions among these patients. Of the total group, 6.5% had RSV, 43.7% had flu, and 49.8% had COVID-19.

Results showed that about 11% of patients with RSV suffered from acute cardiovascular events while in the hospital. This rate was significantly higher than among patients with COVID-19, regardless of whether they had received booster vaccines or not. Overall, 3.2% of all patients required ICU care.

Among the 2,148 RSV patients studied, nearly 11% had a cardiovascular event, and most of these were heart-related. Specifically, there were 99 cases of abnormal heart rhythms, 66 cases of heart failure, and 61 instances of ischemic heart disease, which is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.

The most common irregular heartbeat was atrial fibrillation or flutter, making up over 60% of abnormal rhythm cases. Patients with a history of heart disease were more than twice as likely to have a heart event during RSV infection compared to those with flu or COVID-19.

The study also found that RSV patients who had not received COVID-19 booster shots had a higher chance of heart problems than unvaccinated COVID patients. However, RSV patients had lower chances of stroke compared to COVID patients who were vaccinated with boosters.

Researchers believe that heart problems in RSV patients may be caused directly by damage to the heart muscle or indirectly due to inflammation and stress on the heart from lung disease. They emphasized the importance of vaccination to reduce the risk of heart complications linked to respiratory viruses like RSV, flu, and COVID-19.

The findings highlight the need for careful heart monitoring in RSV patients, especially those with existing heart conditions, and call for more research on how vaccines might protect against these serious complications.