Severe bacterial and viral infections, particularly pneumonia and sepsis, are associated with a marked increase in morbidity and mortality of patients. Beyond acute infection, cohort studies indicate an elevated risk for cardiovascular events that remains increased even after months to years. Susceptibility to infection depends on various host factors, including clinical comorbidities, immune regulation, and iron metabolism.
In an ageing population lifelong vaccination against common respiratory pathogens, such as seasonal influenza or pneumococcal disease, is increasingly important as it may indirectly prevent cardiovascular events. Most national guidelines recommend adult vaccination only for high-risk groups and older individuals, however individualized risk assessment is rarely incorporated.
The proposed study will address these knowledge gaps by examining and characterising risk factors for i) the incidence and severity of infectious diseases, particularly vaccine-preventable infections, and ii) the occurence of cardiovascular events following infections including death.
First, we will assess associations between demographic and lifestyle factors, blood-based biomarkers, and pre-existing medical conditions with these outcomes. Second, we will integrate genetic variants related to iron and immune metabolism with MRI-based measurements of hepatic and splenic iron content to evaluate whether certain risk scores associated with increased susceptibility to, or severity of, infection. Third, we will investigate whether structural and functional cardiac imaging parameters can serve as surrogates of cardiovascular injury following infection.
Current risk stratification tools rely mainly on clinical and biomarker data. This comprehensive approach aims to identify individuals at risk and to inform targeted follow-up intervals and vaccination recommendations in adults supporting more personalized infection prevention and cardiovascular care.
