RSV causes severe outcomes and heart complications in older adults

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a well-known cause of infections in children, but it's understudied in older individuals. In a retrospective study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, adults aged 65 and older hospitalized for RSV in Ontario, Canada experienced significantly higher rates of adverse outcomes such as longer length of hospital stay, transfer to intensive care, and 30-day mortality, compared with patients hospitalized with influenza, urinary tract infection, or fracture.

Interestingly, RSV hospitalization was also associated with higher rates of heart failure and atrial fibrillation up to 1-year post-discharge, regardless of prior cardiovascular conditions.

Unlike other respiratory viruses, immunity against RSV tends to decline relatively quickly. This means that a previous infection will not afford the same long-term protection as it might for influenza or COVID-19. Our findings reinforce the importance of RSV vaccination in older adults and suggest that monitoring for signs of heart disease following an RSV illness may be pragmatic."

Chris Verschoor, PhD, HSN, corresponding author, Foundation Research Chair in Healthy Aging at Health Sciences North Research Institute