If you haven’t had the flu lately, you may have forgotten just how miserable it can make you feel. But there’s more to fear than fever, fatigue, and nagging aches and pains. The following statistics are telling. Every year in the U.S., on average:
• From 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu.
• More than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications.
• About 36,000 people die from flu. Most are people 65 years and older, but some deaths occur in younger adults and children as well.

And if you have any type of heart disease, the flu can be particularly dangerous. Among people with heart disease, flu can lead to viral or bacterial pneumonia that can trigger potentially deadly heart-related complications. Incredibly, against medical advice, two out of three adults with heart disease didn’t get flu shots in 2005.

Bottom line: The best way to protect your health—and your heart—is with a flu shot. To learn more about why this is so important, log onto the I Love Flu Shots website: www.mendedhearts.org [2]. And get that flu shot!