Bengaluru: There is no association between premature cardiovascular disease in a patient and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination, an expert committee tasked with investigating the recent cases of heart attack deaths in Karnataka concluded.
On the contrary, a report submitted by the panel said Covid-19 vaccination has been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long term.
The state government constituted an expert committee headed by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research to investigate the deaths of over 20 people due to heart attacks in Hassan district.
The report submitted to the government on July 2 stated that current data does not support the belief that “long covid” is responsible for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events among the young.
“Rather, a rise in the prevalence of the common risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, dyslipidemia) is the best explanation for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events.”
“The observational study conducted at Jayadeva Hospital, did not find any association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination. Most studies/ reports published in the rest of the world also have not found any causal association between Covid vaccination and sudden cardiovascular events. On the contrary, covid vaccination has been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long term,” it said.
Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had suggested that the heart attack deaths in Hassan district may be linked to the vaccination drive.
He also claimed that the vaccines were ‘hastily’ approved.
His statement drew sharp criticism from the BJP and the likes of Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
According to the panel report, there is no single cause behind the observed rise in sudden cardiac deaths. Rather, it appears to be a multifactorial issue, with behavourial, genetic, and environmental risks.
While in the immediate post-covid phase, there is an increase in the incidence of sudden cardiovascular events due to a pro-inflammatory state, the same cannot be held to be true in the long term (less than 1 year). It is three years since the end of the pandemic.
Citing the study by the experts’ committee, the report stated that although conventional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking remain prevalent in a majority of patients, a significant minority of patients presented with none of these, suggesting the possible involvement of novel or under-recognised mechanisms.
The conclusion was drawn after observing 251 patients below the age of 45 who presented with heart problems at the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences between April 1, 2025 and May 31, 2025. Patients selected for the study were interviewed by para-medical staff and a proforma was filled up.
The report cited that detailed risk factor profile analysis was done specifically, including past history of Covid-19 infection – in detail including symptoms, hospitalisation, severity, ventilatory support requirement.
Similarly, detailed history regarding Covid-19 vaccination, including number of doses, vaccine brand, vaccine adverse events, were taken.
In the wake of these findings, the committee has recommended a multifaceted public health strategy, saying it is essential.
“This should include establishing a robust surveillance system for sudden cardiac deaths, particularly among young adults, implementing autopsy-based registries, and integrating early cardiovascular screening at the school level. Importantly, large-scale, prospective, multicentric studies are needed to better delineate the long-term cardiovascular effects of both COVID-19 infection and vaccination,” it added.
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