The WhatsApp forward claims that the Covid-19 vaccine is leading to clots, and the D-dimer test can predict heart attacks.
Blood sample tube for D-dimer test, diagnosis for intravascular thrombosis after COVID-19 vaccination (istock)
In recent weeks, a WhatsApp forward has been circulating in Kerala with a claim that the D-dimer blood test can predict heart attacks.
Medical experts and researchers, however, have debunked this claim, stating that it is a misinterpretation of the test’s purpose and capabilities.
Noted cardiologist and Bengaluru’s Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology director Dr Manjunath CN told South First this was false.
He added that people should not believe and fall for such messages. The D-dimer test was not meant to predict heart attacks, he said.
Manjunath explained that the D-dimer test was commonly used to detect the presence of an abnormal level of fibrin-degradation products in the blood, which could indicate the presence of blood clots. “We check to see if there is a pulmonary embolism,” he said.
Johns Hopkins Medicine — the US-headquartered parent entity of the Johns Hopkins Hospital — describes a pulmonary embolism, or PE, as “a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel in the body (often in the leg)” that then “travels to a lung artery”, where it “suddenly blocks blood flow”.
Explaining in simpler terms, Manjunath said the test is a type of blood analysis used to detect the presence of D-dimer — a protein fragment produced during the breakdown of blood clots in the body.
Under normal conditions, D-dimer is either not present or found in very low quantities in the bloodstream, he noted.
However, higher levels of the protein could be observed if there was an increased formation and dissolution of blood clots.
“An elevated or positive result in the D-dimer test suggests the possibility of a blood-clotting disorder, but it does not conclusively confirm its presence. Additionally, this test is not capable of identifying the specific type of clotting disorder or locating the blood clot within the body,” he added.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid-19 National Task Force’s Co-Chairman Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said the poster seen in the WhatsApp forward was a hoax.
He added that the poster had been intermittently in circulation on the social media platform for over a year.
He clarified that every time it popped up on WhatsApp, doctors in Kerala would be flooded with requests from people seeking D-dimer tests.
The poster claimed that “people who took Covid vaccine are getting heart attacks and therefore must undergo a D-dimer test in the laboratory”.
Jayadevan, however, clarified that this was a completely fake and absurd statement. Rather than after vaccination, heart problems were likely to occur following Covid-19, he said.
“D-dimer has no value in people who are feeling well, or following vaccination. It is a specific lab test that must be done according to clinical indications and only as directed by an experienced physician. There is no connection between the vaccine and the D-dimer test,” he asserted.
He clarified that in an era of self-directed investigations, misinformation such as this would evoke unwarranted anxiety, driving unsuspecting individuals to undergo unnecessary and expensive investigations in privately-run laboratories.
Abnormal lab values resulting from self-directed testing would often cause further confusion and anxiety, leading to further consultations, futile investigations, and financial setbacks, said Jayadevan.
Categorically dismissing the claims of the forward, Manjunath said, “D-dimer is not a screening test to prevent or predict heart attacks.”
Doctors said this blood test is done in conditions where they would have to check for the clotting of blood. “For instance, when there is a clot in deep veins, often in the leg, thigh, or pelvis, which can block blood flow,” they explained.
This condition — known as deep-vein thrombosis — has symptoms that may include swelling, pain, warmth, and skin discolouration in the affected area.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, people underwent tests to check D-dimer values to see if there were clots as Covid-19 itself had the tendency to clot blood. Also, depending on this value, blood thinners were advised. But this was not a screening test for heart attacks,” Manjunath explained.
Meanwhile, he said the test was also used in PE, where there is a clot in the lung, usually originating from a clot elsewhere like the leg or arm. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing, and sweating.
A few other conditions — like Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) — also lead to excessive clotting, potentially causing organ damage.
D-dimer tests assist in diagnosing and monitoring DIC treatment and also in stroke conditions, when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts, leading to symptoms like numbness, confusion, vision problems, and severe headache.
“This test is often employed in diagnosing conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and PE,” said Manjunath.
The doctors said the WhatsApp forward erroneously asserted that high levels of D-dimers in the blood could predict impending heart attacks.
This claim, they said, lacked scientific backing and misrepresented the purpose of the test.
Cardiologists and medical professionals expressed concern over such misinformation.
Experts emphasised that predicting heart attacks involved a comprehensive evaluation of various factors — including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, family history, and lifestyle. They added that there were more specific tests like ECG and cardiac stress tests.
Relying solely on a D-dimer test for predicting heart attacks was not advisable, said the experts.
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