According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai - Director of the National Cardiovascular Institute, Bach Mai Hospital - the flu not only worsens the symptoms of cardiovascular disease but also increases the risk of acute heart failure, arrhythmia and serious cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke. Therefore, cardiovascular patients with flu need to pay special attention to their diet, medication, daily activities and nutrition to effectively control the disease.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai gives advice to cardiovascular patients during the flu season below:
Patients need to take the right dosage of medicine, not arbitrarily stop taking medicine, including blood pressure medicine, anticoagulants or statins. Understanding the effects of each type of drug being used is very important to be able to monitor and adjust when necessary.
Some anti-fever, painkillers, especially NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen) and corticoids, can increase blood pressure and aggravate heart failure. Therefore, patients need to consult a cardiologist and an infectious doctor before using.
The flu can cause a high fever, leading to dilation and dehydration, affecting blood pressure and heart function. Patients who are taking vasopressors or diuretic drugs should be closely monitored and immediately notify the treating physician if there are any unusual signs.
The diet needs to supplement foods rich in vitamin C (found in oranges, guava...), zinc (found in nuts, meat and garlic...) to increase resistance. Patients need to drink enough water every day (about 1.5 - 2 liters/day) to avoid dehydration due to fever and sweating. To control blood pressure, patients need to limit salt, avoid animal fat and increase green vegetables and foods containing omega-3 such as fish to protect the heart.
In addition, health experts also emphasize that flu vaccination helps reduce the risk of disease as well as reduce the severity of flu infection.
This is an important measure recommended by prestigious cardiovascular associations such as the American Heart Association, the European Cardiovascular Association and the Vietnam Cardiovascular Association for cardiovascular patients, including those with heart failure or after coronary intervention, patients with high blood pressure, heart valve disease and heart disease.
However, you should see a cardiologist before getting vaccinated to ensure that your cardiovascular and blood pressure conditions are being treated stably. Patients are not vaccinated if their blood pressure is too high or too low or the patient is in a state of emergency cardiovascular emergency, with compensatory heart failure.
Wearing a mask, washing your hands regularly and avoiding crowded places are important measures to help reduce the risk of flu infection.
