Jayadeva Institute Report: No Link Between Covid Vaccines and Cardiac Deaths in Karnataka

Bengaluru: A state govt-backed study into the alarming rise in sudden cardiovascular events (including heart attacks and cardiac deaths) among youngsters has concluded that Covid-19 vaccination isn’t linked to the fatalities.

The study categorically states: “There is no single cause behind the observed rise in sudden cardiac deaths; it appears to be a multi-factorial issue with behaviour, genetic and environmental risks.”Commissioned by the Siddaramaiah govt and readied by Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research director Dr KS Ravindranath, the sudy follows growing public concern over anecdotal reports of heart attacks and sudden deaths, especially among individuals under 45 years of age, in the state in the post-pandemic era.

This multi-disciplinary effort — led by cardiologists, public health experts, virologists and epidemiologists — synthesised national and international data, and included a pilot study of 251 patients admitted to Jayadeva hospital with coronary artery disease between April 1 and May 31 this year.The findings were clear: No evidence was found linking Covid-19 vaccination and increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease.

On the contrary, Indian and international studies reviewed by the expert panel suggested that Covid vaccines, particularly inactivated and mRNA platforms, are associated with lower odds of sudden cardiac death. The study also emphasised that most vaccine-related cardiac complications reported globally were rare, self-limiting, and significantly less severe than those caused by the actual Covid-19 infection.

Out of the 251 patients studied, nearly all (249) had been vaccinated, with 72% having received two doses and 57% having taken Covishield — the most common vaccine administered in the country. Only 19 patients (7.6%) reported a history of Covid infection, which could be an effect of recall bias (when the survey participant’s ability to accurately remember past events becomes flawed over time) or a pointer to the high rate of asymptomatic infections in the population.

Effect of lifestyle changesA comparison with pre-pandemic data from 2019 showed a modest rise in conventional cardiac risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol disorders, indicating that lifestyle changes during the pandemic period may be driving the increased cardiovascular burden rather than the virus or the vaccine.The data shows while Covid-19 infection can cause inflammation and clotting abnormalities that increase short-term cardiac risk, there’s no scientific evidence to support long-term increased risk due to vaccination. It instead attributes the trend to multiple causes, including rising metabolic disorders, sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, and substance abuse among youngsters.