THE NEW YORK TIMES – Flu infections cause up to 710,000 hospitalizations and 51,000 deaths every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A new analysis by the C.D.C., which examined flu-related hospitalizations from 2010 to 2023, unpacks some of the factors that put people most at risk of severe health outcomes.
Age: Young children and older people are consistently hospitalized with the flu at the highest rates because their immune systems are less robust than those of older children or younger adults, meaning they are less capable of fending off infection.
Lung diseases: Flu can lead to pneumonia and other respiratory issues that can require hospitalization.
In adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who have an impaired immune response, the body can have a harder time clearing a bout of flu. An infection can also further inflame the airways, making it even more difficult for patients to breathe.
Obesity and chronic metabolic diseases: For both children and adults, obesity is a risk factor for severe illness from flu. That may be because of several different factors. Excess weight can make it more difficult to take the deep breaths needed to clear an infection from the lungs, for example, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Heart disease: About half of adults hospitalized with the flu have heart disease, according to the C.D.C. People with cardiovascular disease tend to be older adults with less robust immune systems, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine. Studies have shown that flu increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease, she said.
High blood pressure: In the two most recent flu seasons, one-quarter of patients between the ages of 18 and 49 hospitalized with flu had high blood pressure …
