Viral infections can raise the risk of heart disease both immediately after an infection and over the long term, new research shows. Luis Alvarez/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Covid-19 infections have been strongly linked with cardiovascular conditions like heart disease and stroke, but new research shows that other viral infections such as influenza, HIV, hepatitis C and shingles can also increase the risk of heart problems and cardiovascular disease.

The meta-analysis, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, reviewed 155 studies spanning decades and found that viral infections can raise the risk of heart disease both immediately after an infection and over the long term.

People who caught the flu were up to six times more likely to have a heart attack

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