A new study from the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic has found that people who are hospitalized for infections face a much higher risk of developing heart failure later in life.
The research, which tracked over 14,000 people for more than two decades, does not prove that infections cause heart failure, but it does show a strong link that experts believe is worth paying attention to.
“These findings should make people sit up and take notice,” said Sean Coady, a deputy branch chief at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure affects 6.7 million Americans and happens when the heart becomes too weak to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body. This condition can lead to serious complications, including kidney and liver damage, and even sudden cardiac arrest.
Researchers were surprised to find that many types of infections—not just severe ones like pneumonia or sepsis, but also common ones like skin and urinary tract infections—were linked to a higher risk of heart failure.
How Infections Might Affect the Heart
Scientists are not yet sure exactly how infections increase the risk of heart failure, but they have a few theories.
One possibility is that the body’s immune system stays highly active even after the infection is gone, causing long-term damage. “Some severe infections might ‘turn on’ the immune system in a way that it doesn’t fully shut off, keeping it in an overactive state for years,” said study leader Dr. Ryan Demmer, an epidemiologist.
Another theory is that serious infections might trigger genetic or biological changes that remain dormant but emerge later in life to contribute to heart failure.
Additionally, it’s possible that hospital stays themselves introduce risks that make heart failure more likely later on. Other studies have found that hospitalizations—regardless of the reason—can increase the chances of future health problems.
The Study’s Findings
The study is part of a long-term research project called the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) study. Thousands of people, mostly in their mid-50s, were enrolled in the late 1980s and followed for decades to track their health changes.
Among those studied, about one in four developed heart failure over time. However, the risk was more than twice as highfor people who had been hospitalized for infections at some point.
- The strongest connection to heart failure was seen in people hospitalized for bloodstream infections (sepsis) and respiratory infections (like pneumonia or the flu).
- There was also a significant link for skin and urinary tract infections.
- Digestive infections showed a weaker connection.
This research builds on earlier findings by Demmer’s team, who in 2023 discovered that infections requiring hospitalization also increase the risk of dementia later in life.
What This Means for Prevention
Even though this study does not prove that infections cause heart failure, experts believe the findings highlight the importance of preventing infections in the first place.
“People should take steps to avoid infections through vaccines and good hygiene,” Demmer said. Those who have already been hospitalized for infections should talk to their doctors about ways to reduce their heart disease risk.
One idea Demmer is exploring is whether doctors should consider infection history when assessing a patient’s risk for heart failure. Right now, doctors use risk calculators to determine if someone needs preventive treatment, but these tools do not yet include infection-related hospitalizations.
Could COVID-19 Increase Heart Failure Risk?
The study period ended before the COVID-19 pandemic, but researchers believe that COVID-19 may also contribute to increased heart failure cases in the future.
In Minnesota alone, COVID-19 has caused over 100,000 hospitalizations in the past five years. Even after the pandemic officially ended, the virus has continued to send people to hospitals—more than 3,200 have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since late September.
Influenza has also remained a significant problem, with over 4,200 hospitalizations in recent months, particularly after the holiday season.
Final Thoughts
While this research does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship between infections and heart failure, it provides strong evidence that past hospitalizations for infections may play a bigger role in long-term heart health than previously thought.
Experts recommend taking preventive steps such as staying up to date on vaccines, practicing good hygiene, and seeking prompt treatment for infections to lower the risk of serious complications later in life. People who have been hospitalized for infections should also discuss heart health monitoring with their doctors.
As research continues, understanding the long-term effects of infections could help doctors develop better ways to prevent heart failure and improve patient outcomes.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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