Flu infection raises risk of heart attack in week after diagnosis

People over 35 who have a confirmed case of influenza are at increased risk of having a heart attack in the week after their flu diagnosis, according to a new study, published in the midst of a particularly nasty flu season.

The notion that a bout of flu increases the risk of other illnesses, including heart attack, is not new. But lead author Dr. Jeffrey Kwong said this study, published Wednesday in the New