Influenza and cardiovascular disease: A new opportunity for prevention and the need for further studies. Circulation 2003

In the United States, 12 400 000 people live with a historyof heart attack, angina pectoris, or both. Of this population, an estimated 1 100 000 will suffer a new or recurrent coro-nary attack this year.1 According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) will be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.2 Infections and Atherosclerosis Infectious agents have been implicated in the etiology of atherosclerosis and its complications since the early 1900s.3 Clinicians have long noticed that 30 % of myocardial infarctions (MIs) are preceded by an upper respiratory infection.4,5 Agents implicated in atherosclerosis include cytomegalo-virus (CMV), Chlamydia pneumoniae, Herpes simplex vi-ruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), Helicobacter pylori