But what wasn’t known was that there seems to be an added benefit to getting a flu shot in terms of warding off heart problems. The data, in fact, are quite strong in suggesting this is the case. In this study, flu shots cut down the number of hospitalizations for heart disease by nineteen percent. Stroke went down sixteen percent one season and a whopping twenty-three percent a second season. These are big results. So what’s the connection between getting a flu shot and having a stronger heart? It isn’t yet known. Researchers speculate that the flu virus itself may do damage to blood vessels, possibly making clots more likely. Blood clots in the heart can cause heart attacks, and blood clots in the brain can cause strokes.But whatever the specific details are, there’s one more good reason to follow your doctor’s advice–and get that annual flu shot.