Pneumonia as a cardiovascular disease

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an important cause of death around the globe. Up to 30% of patients admitted to hospital for CAP develop cardiovascular complications (i.e. new/worsening heart failure, new/worsening arrhythmias, myocardial infarctions and/or strokes), acutely and up to 10 years thereafter. Cardiac complications result from complex interactions between preexisting conditions, relative ischaemia, upregulation of the sympathetic system, systemic inflammation and direct pathogen-mediated damage to the cardiovascular system. The exact mechanisms underlying the direct host-pathogen interactions are of great interest to identify potential therapeutic and preventative targets for CAP. In this review, we summarize the epidemiological data, risk factors and the pathogen-driven cardiovascular damage affecting patients with CAP.