CHRONIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAN PUT ADULT PATIENTS AT INCREASED RISK FOR SEVERE RSV1

Take action to protect patients with chronic cardiovascular disease from severe RSV1

 

The CDC identifies chronic cardiovascular disease as a major risk factor for severe RSV for adults 50 to 74 years of age and recommends vaccination.1*

  • *

    Chronic cardiovascular disease includes: heart failure, coronary artery disease, or congenital heart disease (excluding isolated hypertension).1

Recognize the impact of RSV for older adults with HF.

In the United States, approximately 5.5 million adults aged 65 years and older are estimated to have HF, putting them at increased risk for severe RSV
  • †

    Estimates derived from IQVIA, sourced from LRx and Dx claims data (May 2023-February 2025), capturing ICD-10 codes and prescriptions claims, segmented by age and state, were used to approximate the percentage of select comorbidities. These findings were extrapolated using 2023 US Census Bureau demographic data (based on 2023 ACS 1-year estimates) to project approximate ranges of the numbers of patients across select comorbidities, age groups, and states. Over- or underestimation may result due to variation between IQVIA data coverage and US Census estimates.2

  • ‡

    Physician’s office address or, if missing, the preferred mailing address was used to determine whether an active physician is in the United States.5

Consider the risks of hospitalization with RSV infection

In a study, 22.4% of adults aged 50 and older hospitalized with RSV infection experienced an acute cardiac event
Even among those without a documented underlying cardiovascular disease, approximately 1 in 12 adults experienced an acute cardiac event
  • §

    A cross-sectional study over 5 RSV seasons of hospitalized adults aged ≥50 years with RSV infection (N=6248) estimated the period prevalence of acute cardiac events. The weighted period prevalence of experiencing ≥1 acute cardiac event among adults without documented underlying cardiovascular disease was 8.5% (95% CI, 7.4, 9.8).6

  • ||

    Acute cardiac events were defined based on ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM discharge code indicative of an acute cardiac event, or heart failure, myocardial infarction, or myocarditis as a new diagnosis or exacerbations of pre-existing diagnoses.6

  • Underlying cardiovascular disease includes history of heart failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathy, aortic aneurysm, congenital heart disease, aortic stenosis, and other cardiac diseases.6

Cardiovascular issues may occur during hospitalization with an RSV infection6,7

In a retrospective study of adults 60 years of age and older#

37.7%

of patients hospitalized with an RSV infection experienced a cardiovascular complication7**
  • #

    An observational, retrospective, cohort study conducted at an integrated healthcare system evaluated adults ≥60 years of age hospitalized with RSV infection (n=645) or influenza infection (n=1878) over 5 consecutive seasons between January 2011 and June 2015 to compare demographics, prehospitalization characteristics, hospitalizations, and clinical outcomes.7

  • **

    Includes myocardial infarction, pericarditis, endocarditis, myocarditis, or atrial fibrillation during hospitalization encounters reported in 243 patients.7

Discuss the risks and benefits of RSV vaccination and provide a firm recommendation

STRENGTHEN YOUR RECOMMENDATION >

  • AAMC=Association of American Medical Colleges; ACS=American Community Survey; CDC=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CI=confidence interval; Dx=diagnosis; HF=heart failure; ICD-9-CM=International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification; ICD-10-CM=International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification; LRx=longitudinal prescription; RSV=respiratory syncytial virus.

References

  1. Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV). RSV vaccine guidance for adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed April 14, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/hcp/vaccine-clinical-guidance/adults.html

  2. Data on File, GSK.

  3. Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV). RSV in adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed March 3, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/adults

  4. Association of American Medical Colleges. US Physician Workforce Data dashboard. Accessed April 14, 2026. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/report/us-physician-workforce-data-dashboard

  5. Association of American Medical Colleges. US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard Methods. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/us-physician-workforce-data-dashboard-methods

  6. Woodruff RC, Melgar M, Pham HG, et al; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET). Acute cardiac events in hospitalized older adults with respiratory syncytial virus infection. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(6):602-611. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0212

  7. Ackerson B, Tseng HF, Sy LS, et al. Severe morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory syncytial virus versus influenza infection in hospitalized older adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(2):197-203. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy991