Skip to main content

Odds of Cardiovascular Events Up for RSV Hospitalization Versus COVID-19 Hospitalization

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 28, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization have increased odds of any acute cardiovascular event compared with COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to a study published online May 22 in JAMA Network Open.

Liang En Wee, M.P.H., from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore, and colleagues compared the risk for acute cardiovascular complications in adults hospitalized for RSV versus COVID-19 or influenza in a cross-sectional study conducted before RSV vaccination rollout in Singapore. The study included 32,960 respiratory viral infections (RVIs; 2,148 for RSV; 14,389 for influenza; 16,423 for COVID-19).

Overall, 10.9 percent of the 2,148 patients hospitalized for RSV had an acute cardiovascular event. The researchers found that the odds of any acute cardiovascular event were higher in RSV hospitalizations versus boosted COVID-19 hospitalizations (at least three vaccine doses; adjusted odds ratio, 1.31); the same was seen for other individual cardiac events (adjusted odds ratios, 1.52 and 1.75 for dysrhythmia and heart failure, respectively). Patients hospitalized for RSV had higher odds of any acute cardiovascular event (adjusted odds ratio, 1.58) as well as dysrhythmias or heart failure compared with unboosted COVID-19 hospitalizations (no more than three vaccine doses). There was no significant difference seen in the odds of a cardiovascular event in RSV versus influenza, apart from contemporaneous hospitalizations after the pandemic (2023 to 2024), with significantly higher odds of heart failure in RSV hospitalizations versus vaccine-breakthrough influenza hospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio, 2.09).

"Evaluating vaccination's role in attenuating risk of cardiovascular events associated with vaccine-preventable RVIs remains important given the availability of RSV vaccines for older adults," the authors write. "Individuals with a preexisting cardiac history remain at higher risk of acute cardiac events during RSV hospitalization and should be prioritized for vaccination."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Low Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Rates Seen in Cancer Survivors

THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- For U.S. adult cancer survivors with a new alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis, the one-year cumulative incidence of AUD treatment initiation was 14.3...

Total Number of Excess Deaths >14.7 Million in U.S. in 1980 to 2023

THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- There were 14,735,913 excess deaths in the United States during 1980 to 2023 compared with other high-income countries (HICs), according to a research...

Earlier Natural Menopause Risk Increased for Women in Socially Vulnerable Neighborhoods

THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- Women residing in U.S. neighborhoods with high social vulnerability have a higher risk for earlier natural menopause, according to a study published...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.