GPs are urged to be alert for cardiac symptoms in high-risk patients with influenza, as Australia struggles through its worst flu season in several years. Experts warned the infection could trigger acute coronary syndrome in patients with existing heart disease, and urged doctors to take preventive action.Speaking at the Australian Doctor/HealthEd GP Summit on Diabetes, Obesity and Heart Disease, Associate Professor Ian Wilcox, clinical associate professor at the University of Sydney, said the inflammatory response provoked by influenza was the likely catalyst for MI, sudden cardiac death or unstable angina in patients with existing disease.Inflammation is a trigger to plaque rupture because inflammation softens the atherosclerotic plaque,” Professor Wilcox told Australian Doctorafter the summit. The ones that are most prone...
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