Severe Covid, not vaccines, raises risk of cardiovascular disease

There is no scientific evidence that Covid-19 vaccines cause sudden deaths, said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, the co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid Task Force.

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Speaking with Kavita Bajeli-Datt, the convener of the Research Cell, Kerala, IMA, however, said, there is a clear link between severe Covid-19 and increased cardiovascular risk in the months or years that follow as Covid damages the inner lining of blood vessels, which can later result in heart attacks, strokes, or other vascular events.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that "hasty approval and distribution" of Covid-19 vaccines may be responsible for over 20 apparent heart attack deaths in Hassan district.

Your view?

There is no scientific evidence that Covid-19 vaccines cause sudden deaths, despite widespread speculation on social media fueled by anti-science activists. Sudden death in young adults is a well-known phenomenon long before the pandemic, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 1,700 adults aged 35-45 annually. The causes are diverse. In older adults, heart attacks are a common cause, while in younger individuals, inherited heart rhythm disorders and structural heart diseases like cardiomyopathy are more likely. Non-cardiac causes include stroke, infections, toxins, and pulmonary embolism. Without ascertaining a clear cause of the recent deaths, speculation is misleading and unscientific.