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Flu & pneumonia

How much each habit raises, or lowers, the odds of dying of flu or pneumonia. Tap a pill, answer yours. Green pills lower the risk, red raise it; a star marks an estimate, not a published number. All causes ›

Factors that swing flu and pneumonia deaths

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Factors that swing flu and pneumonia deaths

75%50%25%0%25%50%75%100%← more risk · % change in risk · less risk →Factors, ranked by biggest effect11%360%#1117%#283%#362%#460%#558%#650%#739%#838%#913%#10Everythingelseno single number

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Where you sit

0 of 10 answered

Answer the 10 factors above to see which ones raise your own risk, which sit at the reference, and which the studies have no number for.

Relative risk versus each factor’s reference group; above the line is lower risk, below it higher.

Sources (9)Baskaran V, Murray RL, Hunter A, et al., PLoS One 2019 · Simou E, Britton J, Leonardi-Bee J, BMJ Open 2018 · Phung DT, Wang Z, Rutherford S, et al., Obes Rev 2013 and 6 moreShow all
  1. [1]D. T. Phung et al. Body mass index and risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev, 14(10):839-57, 2013. doi:10.1111/obr.12055 Evidence: High
  2. [2]V. Baskaran et al. Effect of tobacco smoking on the risk of developing community acquired pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 14(7):e0220204, 2019. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220204 Evidence: High
  3. [3]E. Simou, J. Britton, and J. Leonardi-Bee. Alcohol and the risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 8(8):e022344, 2018. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022344 Evidence: Moderate
  4. [4]A. D. Wiese et al. Opioid Analgesic Use and Risk for Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases: A Nested Case-Control Study. Ann Intern Med, 168(6):396-404, 2018. doi:10.7326/M17-1907 Evidence: Low
  5. [5]J. B. Kornum et al. Diabetes, glycemic control, and risk of hospitalization with pneumonia: a population-based case-control study. Diabetes Care, 31(8):1541-5, 2008. doi:10.2337/dc08-0138 Evidence: Low
  6. [6]V. Demicheli et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2(2):CD004876, 2018. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004876.pub4 Evidence: Low
  7. [7]B. J. Webber, H. C. Yun, and G. P. Whitfield. Leisure-time physical activity and mortality from influenza and pneumonia: a cohort study of 577 909 US adults. Br J Sports Med, 57(19):1231-1237, 2023. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106644 Evidence: Low
  8. [8]S. R. Patel et al. A prospective study of sleep duration and pneumonia risk in women. Sleep, 35(1):97-101, 2012. doi:10.5665/sleep.1594 Evidence: Low
  9. [9]K. Manabe et al. Preventive Effect of Oral Self-Care on Pneumonia Death among the Elderly with Tooth Loss: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Tohoku J Exp Med, 247(4):251-257, 2019. doi:10.1620/tjem.247.251 Evidence: Low

Every factor, one by one

One quick question each. The charts above follow your answers, and so does every other What Matters page that asks the same question.

  1. #1Body weight[1]+360%

    Across 25 studies, weight and influenza-related pneumonia followed a U-shape: underweight went with nearly twice the risk, being somewhat overweight with slightly less risk than normal weight, obesity with 30% more, and severe obesity with more than four times the risk.

    How would you describe your weight?

    +360%
    +30%
    −11%
    reference
    +90%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  2. #2Smoking[2]+117%

    Across 27 studies and over 460,000 people, current smokers were about twice as likely to develop community-acquired pneumonia as never smokers, and former smokers about half again as likely.

    Do you smoke?

    reference
    +49%
    +117%
    +117%

    Same number, 2 answers: The meta-analysis pooled all current smokers into one group; its dose-response analysis found risk rising with the amount smoked but printed no separate figure for lighter smokers.

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  3. #3Alcohol[3]+83%

    Across 14 pooled studies, people who drank, or drank more, got community-acquired pneumonia 83% more often than those who drank nothing or less.

    How much alcohol do you drink?

    reference
    ≈+4%
    ≈+8%
    +83%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  4. #4Opioid painkillers[4]+62%

    In 1,233 people with invasive pneumococcal disease, the bacteria behind most serious pneumonia, and 24,399 matched controls, current prescription opioid use went with 62% higher odds, and long-acting, high-potency and high-dose opioids carried the most.

    Do you take prescription opioids or sedatives?

    reference
    +62%
    ≈+75%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  5. #5Diabetes[5]+60%

    In a Danish study of 34,239 people hospitalized with pneumonia and ten matched controls each, diabetes went with 26% more pneumonia hospitalizations, and how well it was controlled made a real difference: an A1c under 7% carried 22% more risk, an A1c of 9% or higher 60% more.

    What’s your blood sugar like?

    reference
    ≈+7%
    +22%
    +60%
    no number

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  6. #6Flu shots[6]−58%

    In randomized trials of adults 65 and older, the flu vaccine cut laboratory-confirmed influenza over one season from 6% to 2.4%.

    Are you up to date on flu and COVID vaccines?

    −58%
    ≈−35%
    reference

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  7. #7Physical activity[7]−50%

    Following 577,909 US adults for nine years, people who did any aerobic activity died of flu and pneumonia less often than those who did none, even after allowing for their age, health conditions and vaccinations: 21% less at 10 to 149 minutes a week, 41% less at 150 to 300, and 50% less at 301 to 600.

    How many days a week do you get 30+ minutes of exercise?

    reference
    −21%
    −41%
    −50%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  8. #8Sleep length[8]+39%

    Following 56,953 nurses, both short and long sleepers got pneumonia more often than those sleeping eight hours: 39% more at five hours or less and 38% more at nine or more, after adjusting for other health habits.

    How much sleep do you usually get?

    +39%
    ≈+18%
    reference
    +38%

    Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. Saved to your quiz answers, so the quiz shows it too.

  9. #9Oral health[9]+38%

    Following 18,098 adults aged 65 and older in Japan, those with 0 to 9 teeth left died of pneumonia 38% more often than those with 20 or more, and the excess disappeared among those who visited a dentist, brushed twice a day or used dentures.

    How often do you see a dentist?

    reference
    +38%

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  10. #10Secondhand smoke[2]+13%

    In the same review, living with smoke raised pneumonia risk only a little across all adult ages, a figure that could be chance, but in adults 65 and older, the ages where pneumonia kills, passive smoking went with 64% more pneumonia.

    How often are you around other people’s smoke?

    reference
    ≈+6%
    +13%

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