Getting the yearly influenza shot may not only prevent patients from getting the flu, but may also save them from heart failure and stroke, according to Forbes.

In a recent study made by the University of Toronto, researchers found that people who had gotten their flu shot had 36% reduced risk of triggering heart disease, succumbing to stroke, and dying from cardio-vascular illnesses, and that the flu shot is especially beneficial for patients who have experienced cardiac arrest, as it could dramatically lessen their risk of having another episode by 55%.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study used data from over 6,700 cases dating back to the 1940s. Most of the patients involved in the study were aged over 60 years old, and had a history of heart disease, reports Fox News.   

The study's respondents were divided into two groups, those who received the flu vaccine and those who received placebo. With similar health profiles, the participants were observed over the course of time, whether or not they had undergone "major adverse cardiovascular event - death from heart disease, hospitalization for heart attack, heart failure, unstable angina, stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization," according to The Star. The results show that patients who had been administered the flu shot had lower risk of succumbing to cardio-vascular diseases, and for some, it may even have prevented their deaths.

Lead author of the study Jacob Udell said in an interview that, "These findings are extraordinary given the potential for this vaccine to serve as yearly preventative therapy for patients with heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in North America," according to Forbes.

Influenza shots ensure that patients who already have heart problems do not succumb to the extra strain that a flu infection may cause to an already weakened body system. Cardiologist Dr. David Frid explains, "What happens is when somebody either has cardiovascular disease or is at risk of cardiovascular disease, the stress of having influenza-an upper respiratory infection-can precipitate a stress or strain on the person,which can increase their likelihood of having some type of cardiovascular event, " reports Healthline.