Effect of Annual Influenza Vaccination on the Risk of Lung Cancer Among Patients With Hypertension: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan

Int J Public Health. 2023 Oct 2:68:1605370. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605370. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Objectives: Lung cancer is a main contributor to all newly diagnosed cancers worldwide. The chemoprotective effect of the influenza vaccine among patients with hypertension remains unclear. Methods: A total of 37,022 patients with hypertension were retrospectively enrolled from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. These patients were further divided into a vaccinated group (n = 15,697) and an unvaccinated group (n = 21,325). Results: After adjusting for sex, age, comorbidities, medications, level of urbanization and monthly income, vaccinated patients had a significantly lower risk of lung cancer occurrence than unvaccinated patients (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.67). A potential protective effect was observed for both sexes and in the elderly age group. With a greater total number of vaccinations, a potentially greater protective effect was observed (aHR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.95; aHR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53-0.82; aHR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.19-0.36, after receiving 1, 2-3 and ≥4 vaccinations, respectively). Conclusion: Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer among patients with hypertension. The potentially chemoprotective effect appeared to be dose dependent.

Keywords: hypertension; influenza vaccination; lung cancer; malignancy; prevention.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension* / complications
  • Influenza Vaccines* / pharmacology
  • Influenza Vaccines* / therapeutic use
  • Influenza, Human* / epidemiology
  • Influenza, Human* / prevention & control
  • Lung Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms* / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Taiwan / epidemiology
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan, Taipei Medical University-National Taiwan University Hospital Joint Research Program (111-TMU085), and 112FRP-01-1 from the Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare.