No link between Covid vaccine and heart attacks, finds Karnataka study after Siddaramaiah raises concerns

Indian Express

12 hours ago

A study commissioned by the Karnataka government to investigate sudden cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and cardiac deaths, and their possible links to the Covid vaccine, recently found no causal association between the two.
The findings submitted to the state government on July 2 came days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested that Covid vaccine could also be a reason for the increase in heart attacks among young adults.
The pilot study was carried out on 250 patients below 45 years of age by the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (JICSR). It gained significance after several deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases in the Hassan district.
A committee, led by Dr C N Ravindranath, director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, found no connection between early-onset cardiovascular conditions and previous Covid-19 infection or vaccination.
The study, in fact, found evidence that vaccines may offer long-term protection against cardiac events.
Conventional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking remain prevalent in a majority of patients, the study said.
'There is no single cause behind the observed rise in sudden cardiac deaths. Rather, it appears to be a multifactorial issue, with behavioural, genetic, and environmental risks,' it said.
The study, however, sought research funding for 'large-scale prospective case control clinical studies by a nodal agency like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct a multi-disciplinary collaborative study to study the long-term effect of both Covid-19 infection and vaccination.
A cardiac surveillance programme and national registry for sudden cardiac deaths among young adults are part of the recommendations of the study.
Quoting the findings of various studies carried out in the United Kingdom, it said that those who had Covid-19 infection faced a two-fold increased risk of major cardiovascular events, while those who were hospitalised with Covid 19 had a four-fold increased risk.
The JISCR assessed 12 patients below 30 years, 66 between 31 to 40 and 172 between 41 to 45 for the report.
The effort was based on an order issued in February this year 'to conduct a thorough study on the reasons behind sudden deaths among young people in the state, and whether the Covid vaccines could have any adverse effects'.
In a post on X, CM Siddaramaiah on June 1 said, 'It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the Covid vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that COVID vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks.'
As Chief Minister, I have a duty to respond to the genuine concerns of people who have lost loved ones unexpectedly. When parents lose their young children or families lose breadwinners without warning, seeking clarity is not misinformation; it is an act of governance rooted in… https://t.co/JjssvDhNeV
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 3, 2025
This was rebutted by pharma major Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, saying that to suggest that the 'vaccines were hastily approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation'.
Siddaramaiah hit back, saying that seeking clarity about such issues was not misinformation but an act of governance, adding that scientific caution was not anti-science.