VOA标准英语2010年-Flu Shots Linked to Lower Heart Attack

Getting a flu shot can help prevent influenza¹. But now, a large study in Britain indicates that older adults who get an annual flu vaccination² are less likely to suffer a heart attack.

The study involved more than 78,000 people, age 40 and older.

 

"Our research suggests that flu shots are associated with a reduction in relative risk of heart attack in adults by about 19 percent," says Niroshan Siriwardena, a researcher at Britain's University of Lincoln who led the study.
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The reduction was even higher - 21 percent - for people who got their vaccination early in the flu season.

The results were mathematically adjusted to reflect the fact that people who are at higher risk for heart attack in the first place are more likely to get a flu shot.

Although Siriwardena is careful to point out that his study is one of associations, not necessarily cause-and-effect, he does offer one possible link between the seemingly unrelated conditions of influenza and heart attack.

"The key theory is that [in] coronary arteries³ which are narrowed, that influenza causes an inflammatory process, which makes the plaques⁵ more liable to rupture⁶," says Siriwardena. "So flu is encouraging plaque⁴ rupture and triggering off a heart attack. That's the theory."

For a lot of people, the message of this study is that now there's one more reason to get a flu vaccination. But Siriwardena the scientist has a slightly different analysis.

"The take-home message of this study is really that we need to do further research to look at this link between flu and heart attack to see whether there's a real cause-and-effect here."

 

1 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

2 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

3 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

5 plaques   

（纪念性的）匾牌( plaque的名词复数 )； 纪念匾； 牙斑； 空斑

参考例句：

• Primary plaques were detectable in 16 to 20 hours. 在16到20小时内可查出原发溶斑。
• The gondoliers wore green and white livery and silver plaques on their chests. 船夫们穿着白绿两色的制服，胸前别着银质徽章。

6 rupture   

n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂

参考例句：

• I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
• The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。