COVID vax and your heart
The findings come
from a review of more than 8 million adults in Sweden who were followed up in
national healthcare registers from the end of December 2020—when COVID-19
vaccination began—until the end of 2022.
Among the 8,070,674 adults included in the study, 88.5%
received at least one dose of vaccine, 86.9% at least two, and 67.9% three or
more. There were 1,668,508 new cases of COVID-19; 40.3% occurred before the
first dose of vaccination, 3.7% between the first and second dose, 34.3%
between the second and third dose, and 21.7% after the third dose.
Outcomes included inflammation of the cardiac muscle or the pericardium, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and stroke.
Overall, vaccination was associated with decreased risks of cardiovascular disease by about 20% to 30% compared to no vaccination.
The authors note, however, that some cardiovascular effects
have been seen after individual doses of the vaccine, especially among older
men.
There was a 17% higher risk of extrasystoles, or extra heart
beats, after dose one and 22% after dose two. While the overall the risk of
stroke was lower in vaccinated people, there was an increased risk of
TIA.
"It should be noted that for outcomes showing slightly increased risks (myopericarditis, TIA, and extrasystoles), the incidence rates were generally lower than for the other outcomes that showed decreased risks," the authors said.
"The increases in cardiovascular risk we saw following COVID-19 vaccination are temporary, and do not apply to the more severe conditions," said study author Fredrik Nyberg, PhD, in a press release from the University of Gothenburg.
"On the other hand, full vaccination significantly reduced
the risk of several more severe cardiovascular outcomes linked to COVID-19,
such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. This emphasizes the protective
benefits of full vaccination."