Every year, nearly one million people in the United States end up in the hospital with pneumonia. Along with making breathing difficult, the infection places stress on the heart. The added stress raises the risk for heart attack, stroke and dying of heart disease.

The risk doesn’t go away after pneumonia is gone. Studies show it can last for years. Older people hospitalized with pneumonia have four times the risk for heart attack, stroke and dying of heart disease in the month after their illness. The risk remains nearly 50 percent higher for 10 years.

Why?

Infections like pneumonia boost inflammation in the body — including inside the arteries. Blood can’t flow like it should and is more likely to clot and cause a heart attack or stroke.

Know Your Risks

Pneumonia can affect anyone, but some groups are more vulnerable than others. People 65 and older have a higher risk. A weakened immune system, chronic lung disease and smoking cigarettes also boost the risk.

Vaccines Offer Protection

The pneumonia shot is the best way to protect against one kind of pneumonia. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you get the shot if you:

• Are 65 or older
• Have a high risk for pneumonia
• Suffer from asthma
• Smoke cigarettes

Talk with your doctor to see if the pneumonia shot is right for you.

Pneumonia or Flu

Symptoms for pneumonia are a lot like the flu: headache, muscle aches and fever. Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart, but people who have pneumonia often have a bad cough and trouble breathing.

If you do come down with the flu, you also have a risk for pneumonia. Protect yourself by getting a flu shot each fall. The CDC urges all adults to get a yearly flu shot. Ask your doctor which flu vaccine is right for you.

Protect Your Heart

Every day, there are small steps you can take to protect your heart in the long run. The American Heart Association  suggests these tips:

• Quit smoking
• Stay a healthy weight
• Drink plenty of fluids each day
• Skip or limit alcohol and caffeine
• Eat heart-healthy foods
• Be active
• Rest and relax
• Learn to handle stress
• Watch your blood pressure

Be proactive with your heart and lung health. It’s one of the best things you can do to fend off serious illness and recover more quickly if you do become ill.

Sources: Cardiovascular Complications in Community-Acquired Pneumonia,  National Library of Medicine, 2022; Pneumonia Prevention and Control,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Pneumonia,  MedlinePlus, 2023;Association Between Hospitalization for Pneumonia and Subsequent Risk of Cardiovascular Disease,  Journal of the American Medical Association, 2015; Lifestyle Changes for Heart Failure,  American Heart Association, 2023

Important Information 
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Originally published 12/19/2018; Revised 2021; Reviewed 2022, 2024