The report recommended that ICMR or a similar nodal agency be tasked with funding large-scale, prospective, case-control studies to study the long-term impact of both Covid-19 infection and vaccination on heart health.
Published Jul 05, 2025 | 6:39 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 05, 2025 | 6:39 PM
The observational study conducted at the Jayadeva Hospital did not find any association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination
Synopsis: Even as public fears swirl around Covid-19 and vaccines behind the rise in sudden heart attacks amongst the young, an expert committee formed by the Karnataka government found no direct link. It called for urgent, systemic reforms to detect heart risks early.
In a decisive response to growing concern over sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) among youth, a Karnataka government-appointed expert panel, while dismissing direct link to Covid-19 or vaccines, has called for nationwide cardiac surveillance, autopsy-based registries, and mandatory heart screening for children from the age of 15.
These sweeping public health measures form the crux of a new investigation into the rising incidence of premature heart attacks and sudden deaths, particularly in people under 45, in the post-pandemic period.
The panel, chaired by renowned cardiologist Dr KS. Ravindranath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, provided critical insights while rejecting unfounded narratives linking the spike in heart attacks to Covid-19 vaccination.
The Karnataka Health Department released the report on Saturday, 5 July.
“The observational study conducted at the Jayadeva Hospital did not find any association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination,” the expert panel stated.
On the contrary, it cited national and international studies showing that Covid vaccination may be protective against cardiac events in the long term.
The report’s six-point action plan underscores the need for a holistic, multi-pronged approach:
Cardiac Surveillance Program & National Registry for Sudden Cardiac Deaths among Young Adults:
“Promote physical activity, smoking cessation, reducing screen time, reducing sugar and salt intake, adequate sleep, and tackling stress,” the study stated.
The report recommended that ICMR or a similar nodal agency be tasked with funding large-scale, prospective, case-control studies to study the long-term impact of both Covid-19 infection and vaccination on heart health.
The observational pilot study, which forms the empirical backbone of the report, analysed 251 patients aged 45 or younger admitted with coronary artery disease (CAD) between April and May 2025. While traditional risk factors like diabetes (34.7%), hypertension (40.6%), dyslipidemia (43.82%), and smoking (44.2%) were prevalent, more than one-fourth of the patients (26.67%) had none of these.
“The sizeable minority of ‘risk-factor-negative’ events raises the possibility that residual inflammatory or pro-thrombotic pathways—whether post-viral or unrelated—may be amplifying premature CAD presentations,” the report noted.
However, only 19 out of 251 patients (7.6%) recalled a prior Covid-19 infection, and virtually all had been vaccinated, making it impossible to draw any statistically meaningful connection.
“Because vaccination coverage in the community approaches universality, larger multicenter cohorts with serological confirmation of prior SARS-CoV-2 exposure and precise vaccine-platform stratification are needed before attributing the observed uptick in young-onset CAD or sudden cardiac events to Covid-19 itself,” the report emphasised.
The report critically evaluated global literature, including a Nature Medicine study on 153,760 US veterans and a JAMA Health Forum case-control analysis of over 13,000 adults with post-Covid conditions.
These studies consistently found increased long-term cardiovascular risks post-Covid, including heart failure, stroke, arrhythmias, and even increased mortality. However, the Karnataka panel urges caution in interpreting this data in the Indian context:
“Current data does not support the belief that ‘long Covid’ is responsible for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events among the young,” the report concluded.
“Rather, a rise in the prevalence of the common risk factors that lead to CVD… is the best explanation.”
The panel pointed to a significant Indian study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, which analysed unexplained sudden deaths in 18–45-year-olds across 47 tertiary hospitals.
It found that Covid-19 vaccination was not linked to an increased risk of sudden deaths—in fact, those who received two doses had lower odds of unexplained cardiac death.
“This underscores the protective role of vaccination and the significance of modifiable lifestyle factors in young adult mortality,” the report notes.
Importantly, the committee does not attempt to reduce the crisis to a single cause.
“There is no single cause behind the observed rise in sudden cardiac deaths,” it stated. “Rather, it appears to be a multifactorial issue, with behavioral, genetic, and environmental risks.”
Lifestyle disruptions during the pandemic—poor diet, inactivity, psychological stress—likely accelerated existing health vulnerabilities, especially in urban young male populations engaged in high-stress, low-access jobs like driving and manual labour. Nearly half the patients were from Bengaluru, and the most common professions included drivers and labourers.
The report sought to reset the narrative through data and grounded recommendations.
“In light of these findings, a multifaceted public health strategy is essential,” the authors urged. “India must shift from reactive alarm to proactive prevention—beginning with its youngest hearts.”
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
