Your risk of a heart attack or stroke climbs in the week after this common infection
High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, cigarette use, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity are among the risk factors for heart attack and stroke. A family history of these episodes, age and sex play a role, too.
3 Several factors increase your risk of heart attack and stroke — a urinary tract infection might be one of them.
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A new study adds to growing evidence that urinary tract infections can also raise the odds of a heart attack or stroke, with the highest risk observed within the first week of the UTI.
UTIs are incredibly common in women. About 60% of women will experience at least one, while only 12% of men will have one.
A reason for this difference is that the female urethra is shorter and closer to the anus than the male urethra.
UTIs frequently occur when bacteria from the skin or rectum — particularly E. coli — enter the urinary tract through the urethra and travel to the bladder.
Common symptoms include a frequent and urgent need to pee, a burning sensation during urination, cloudy or strong-smelling urine and pain or pressure in the lower belly or back.
3 Women are much more likely to experience a UTI than men, largely due to anatomical differences.
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UTIs typically take three to seven days to clear with antibiotics, but severe infections that spread beyond the bladder can take longer to resolve.
One major problem with UTIs is that they tend to recur, especially in sexually active women and those who use a diaphragm for contraception.
These infections can pave the way for a heart attack or stroke because they can trigger or worsen inflammation, which is the body's natural defense mechanism to combat infections and injuries.
Inflammation can destabilize plaques in arteries, increasing the chance they'll rupture and dangerous blood clots will form.
For the new study, Cardiff University researchers tracked 2,300 Welsh residents 30 and older who experienced their first heart attack and 2,800 residents who suffered a stroke between 2010 and 2020.
Everyone had reported having a UTI before these incidents.
The researchers determined that UTIs raised the risk for heart attack and stroke in the first week, then again from 15 to 28 days and 29 to 90 days after the infection.
3 Remember to fully empty your bladder and practice good bathroom hygiene to lower your risk of UTIs.
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E. coli infections were linked to a lower risk of heart attack but a higher stroke risk compared to other bacteria.
The researchers acknowledged that a limitation of their study is that the risks were calculated from the date of UTI diagnosis and not the precise start of the infection.
The findings were published last month in BMJ Open.
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How to Excel at Small Talk When You Have Social Anxiety
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Practice in low-stakes environments Before showing up at a networking event or your 10-year high school reunion, try making conversation with baristas, waiters, neighbors, or co-workers. These short interactions can be a low-pressure way to build self-esteem. 'Smaller, manageable social interactions don't carry as much emotional weight,' Hall-Baldwin says. 'There isn't necessarily a goal of having a deeply meaningful conversation, so it's just trying to practice without feeling overwhelming pressure.' Over time, you'll gain a sense of comfort and confidence as you venture into larger social settings. Script a few go-to phrases ahead of time Come up with and rehearse two to three simple conversation starters you can employ when your brain starts sputtering. That way, 'You'll have something in your back pocket to continue the conversation,' says Caroline Fenkel, chief clinical officer with the virtual mental-health platform Charlie Health. 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'A lot of the time, just showing attentiveness can encourage the other person to keep sharing—and that takes some of the pressure off you to feel like you have to come up with original responses.' Hold something Holding a cold drink, touching an object like a fidget toy, or simply pressing your feet into the floor can give your nervous system something to anchor to when you're feeling anxious. 'It helps signal to your brain: I'm safe,' Fenkel says. When she does public speaking engagements, she puts a worry stone into her pocket, which is a smooth, oval-shaped gem with a thumbprint-like indentation. 'Every time I get nervous, I just touch it,' she says. Doing so creates a physical sensation of security that propels her to the finish line. Acknowledge your anxiety Depending on what kind of situation you're in—a work event vs. a low-key social gathering—acknowledging that you're anxious can come across as relatable. 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Newsweek
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You Could Receive COVID Vaccines via Dental Floss in Future
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"In essence through proper formulation of the coating, the approach should work with any vaccine." Woman holding a dental floss pick in her teeth. Woman holding a dental floss pick in her teeth. AndreyPopov/Getty Images The researchers discovered the new method stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces—the moist linings of various body cavities— like the nose and lungs. "Mucosal surfaces are important, because they are a source of entry for pathogens, such as influenza and COVID," Gill said in a statement. "However, if a vaccine is given by injection, antibodies are primarily produced in the bloodstream throughout the body, and relatively few antibodies are produced on mucosal surfaces. "But we know that when a vaccine is given via the mucosal surface, antibodies are stimulated not only in the bloodstream, but also on mucosal surfaces. 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The researchers acknowledged, however, the impracticality of asking people to hold vaccine-coated floss in their fingers. This led them to introduce a floss pick with a handle, just like the one you might use for removing plaque and food particles. They coated the floss with fluorescent food dye, recruited 27 study participants, explained the new floss-based vaccine concept and asked them to try to deposit the food dye in their epithelial junction with a floss pick. Roughly 60 percent of the dye was deposited in the gum pocket, suggesting the floss pick may be a practical vaccine delivery method to the epithelial junction, according to the researchers. "For accessibility the advantage is that the vaccine is coated as a solid and thus it can be more stable and may not need cold storage. A floss could be self-administered, is painless and may receive better acceptance as compared to shots," said Gill. While more research is needed before the innovative method could be considered for clinical use, the researchers think the positives could extend beyond the improved antibody response—from ease of administration and easing vaccine concerns about needles to a comparable price. The CDC recommends an updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine for most adults 18 and older, while parents of children aged six months to 17 years should discuss the benefits of vaccination with a healthcare provider. However, six in 10 Americans said they would probably not get an updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine, according to an October Pew Research Center survey. Concern about side effects and feeling that the updated vaccine is personally unnecessary were the top two reasons why people were reluctant—regardless of age, party, or race and ethnicity. A smaller share of those not planning to get an updated vaccine said a major reason why is that they generally don't get vaccines. Very few cited cost as a major reason, according to the survey. Some drawbacks of the potential floss-vaccine to consider include that it wouldn't work on infants and toddlers without teeth and whether it would work for people with gum disease or other oral infections. What about side effects? "This requires more study. The anticipation is that the side effects may not be any greater than conventional shots," said Gill. "Next, the approach should be tested on larger animals such as pigs. Additional engineering is also needed to improve upon the device itself so that it is more user friendly. In the long-term, our vision is that this could be a kit either used in the comfort of home, or a dentist's office, or pharmacies." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about vaccination? Let us know via health@ Reference Ingrole, R. S. J., Shakya, A. K., Joshi, G., Lee, C. H., Nesovic, L. D., Compans, R. W., & Gill, H. S. (2025). Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization. Nature Biomedical Engineering.
New York Post
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