Avoid the flu to keep a healthy heart

A flu jab not only protects against the dreaded viral illness, it could also help to save you from heart attack and stroke.

A large-scale study found that people over 50 who were given the vaccine were 85 per cent less likely to have a heart attack, and half as likely to have a stroke as those not receiving it. The researchers from Texas Tech University in Dallas believe this is due to the stress the flu puts on the body.

The Government recently announced it aims to vaccinate 30 million people against the flu this year, offering the jab to all over-50s to help keep people out of hospitals.