Invasive Pneumonia May Shave Ten Years off Life Expectancy, Study Finds

Invasive pneumonia may impact life expectancy by up to ten years, according to a study from Marshall University school of medicine.

The study found that patients who recover from the most severe form of invasive pneumonia, called pneumococcal pneumonia, live on average ten years less than those who didn’t get the disease.

Pneumococcal disease is caused by a type of bacteria that infects the lungs and can potentially spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.

Researchers at Marshall University say these findings affirm current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that all adults older than 65 and younger adults with chronic disease should be immunized with the pneumococcal vaccine.

The study gathered data from more than three decades at community hospitals in Huntington and was published in May in the American Journal of Medicine Sciences.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation, Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.