Influenza vaccination improves survival and reduces readmissions in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure

1. All-cause mortality and hospital readmissions were significantly decreased with influenza vaccination compared to usual care.

2. Significantly fewer adverse events were reported in the influenza vaccination group.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)

Study Rundown: Influenza vaccination is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality for patients with chronic conditions, such as heart failure. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine whether administering influenza vaccination to patients hospitalized with acute heart failure could improve clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality or hospital readmission within 12 months, while the key secondary outcome was the occurrence of serious adverse events. According to study results, the influenza vaccination group had significantly lower rates of all-cause mortality and readmissions compared to those receiving usual care. Although this study was well-conducted, it was limited by seasonal enrollment, which may affect its generalizability to other settings.

Click to read the study in The Lancet

Relevant Reading: Acute Myocardial Infarction after Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Infection

In-depth [randomized controlled trial]: From Dec 3, 2021, to Feb 14, 2024, 11687 patients were screened for eligibility at 164 hospitals in China. Included patients were ≥ 18 years with NYHA class III-IV heart failure and no contraindications to influenza vaccination. Altogether, 7771 patients (3570 in influenza vaccination and 4201 in usual care) were included in the final analysis. The primary composite of all-cause mortality and hospital readmission occurred significantly less frequently with vaccination compared to usual care (41.2% vs. 47.0%, odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.97; p=0.019). The secondary outcome of serious adverse events was also lower in the vaccination group than in usual care (52.5% vs 59.0%; OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.96; p=0.013). Findings from this study suggest that influenza vaccination improves survival for acute heart failure patients and reduces subsequent hospitalizations.

Image: PD

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