Common viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are linked to an increased short-term risk of stroke and heart attack in adults, new University of Melbourne research has found.

Drawing on the best available evidence from 48 studies, researchers from the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Research Children’s Institute (MCRI) led a comprehensive meta-analysis and systematic review to investigate common respiratory viruses and their role in cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.

“There is growing evidence these viruses can act as triggers for heart attacks and strokes, but to date there has been a focus on influenza,” Tu Nguyen, a Ph.D. candidate in the Epidemiology-Informatics research group at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, said. “This study provides a better picture of the role of other respiratory viruses.

“We focused specifically on laboratory-confirmed infections and found that common respiratory viruses play a role in precipitating acute cardiovascular events, but how strong the link is varies between viruses.”

Heart attacks and stroke remain the leading causes of premature death globally.

The research, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, has potential implications for at-risk groups, particularly in cold and flu season.

“While it’s true that heart attacks and strokes are an adult disease, respiratory infections mostly affect young children, which can spread to older adults in their community,” Nguyen said.

“Older adults are more vulnerable to serious events like heart attacks or strokes that can arise from these infections so that’s why studying this relationship helps us understand these risks at the community level, and may encourage older Australians to get immunized where they can as many are vaccine preventable.”

Professor Jim Buttery, Head of Epidemiology Informatics Research Group at MCRI and Professor of Child Health Informatics at the University of Melbourne, said the research is important for an aging population, and to better inform public health strategies.

“This research provides us with more knowledge about why it’s important for older Australians to prevent respiratory infections, where possible, given the potential risk factors,” he said.

“While this study brings together the most up-to-date information we have, we don’t have all that much data for the Australian population, so our future research will look to fill this gap, so that we have a better picture of this link in the Australian context.”

The team, alongside collaborators in Western Australia and Queensland, plan to investigate and map the distribution of common infections for Australians using the power of a collaborative, ecological data platform called SnotWatch.

The platform was established in 2019 to better understand how virus levels relate to Victorians’ health.

“With our colleagues in Western Australia and Queensland, we will now use real-world statewide data from all three states to understand these risks better and help inform vaccine and treatment decisions,” Professor Buttery said.