Association between hospitalization for pneumonia and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease.

Importance: The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after infection is poorly understood.

Objective: To determine whether hospitalization for pneumonia is associated with an increased short-term and long-term risk of CVD.

Design, Settings, And Participants: We examined 2 community-based cohorts: the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS, n = 5888; enrollment age, ≥65 years; enrollment period, 1989-1994) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC, n = 15,792; enrollment age, 45-64 years; enrollment period, 1987-1989).