Heart-related deaths among young in India not linked to COVID-19 vaccines: Health ministry

A day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attributed the increased number of deaths in Hassan district to heart attacks caused by COVID 19 vaccinations, the Indian council of medical research (ICMR) and the national centre for disease control (NCD) shunned speculations linking coronavirus vaccines to sudden premature deaths among adults post Covid-19.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Union ministry of health and family Welfare said that the national agencies investigated the issue and concluded that the covid-19 vaccines used during the pandemic were safe and effective and had no relation to the sudden deaths of young people in the country.

Lifestyle and pre-existing conditions were attributed as key factors behind the deaths by the Union ministry of health and family Welfare.

In order to understand the causes of sudden deaths in people aged between 18 to 45 years, the ICMR and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) undertook two studies using different research methods.

The study by the name "Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India - A multicentric matched case - control study", was carried out from May to August 2023 across 47 tertiary care hospitals in 19 states and Union Territories, the ministry said in its statement.

While the second study, "Establishing the cause of sudden unexplained deaths in young", was conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, with funding and in collaboration with ICMR.

The study was concentrated on people who died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023 despite appearing to be healthy.

What is heart attack and cardiac arrest?

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in cases of people succumbing to heart attack and cardiac arrest.

A heart attack happens when a portion of the heart muscle is damaged due to blockage of coronary arteries that disrupts blood flow. While cardiac arrest is the sudden stoppage of heart function, leading to a cessation of blood circulation.

Dr Brajesh Kumar Mishra, Consultant - Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Gurugram, while speaking to WION said, "Cardiac arrest in younger individuals often stems from structural abnormalities of the heart, such as Dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic or channelopathy. These conditions are common causes of premature sudden cardiac death, particularly in teenagers and young adults."

Regular screening procedures like ECG and Echocardiography in younger patients who are doing aggressive physical activities are advised by doctors to prevent such situation.