No danger to the heart after Covid vaccine

The Oman Medical Association (OHA) has said that the number of heart attacks among those who have taken COVID-19 immunizations has not changed.

While multiple studies have indicated that all COVID vaccinations have some side effects, such as discomfort and moderate redness at the injection site, As per Dr. Adil Barakat Al Riyami, a prominent consultant attending physician, there's been no credible study demonstrating an increase in heart attacks following immunizations, either in Oman or globally."However, the incidence of comment myocarditis has been thoroughly recorded throughout the world, including in Oman," he noted. 

"This type of dilated cardiomyopathy is usually short-lived and does not create long-term complications." 

Myocarditis induces the secretion of troponin, a heart muscle enzyme that is also secreted in people who have heart attacks...hence the confusion. "Al Riyami backed up his claims by pointing out that in one of the greatest studies on the subject, 54 cases of myocarditis were found among more than 2.5 million persons who had received the COVID vaccination, equating to around 2.13 cases of myocarditis per 100,000 people. "This is the same rate of myocarditis that patients get even if they don't get their immunizations," he noted. "Only one occurrence was classified as serious." "76 percent of incidences were mild, 22 percent were moderate, and only one was classed as severe." 

Al Riyami also challenged persons who had used the OHA's official social media channels to inquire about a rash of sudden heart detain deaths in Oman. "We haven't seen a growth in the number of patients having heart attacks after they've been vaccinated," he said." 

In a recently published study, it was demonstrated that the influenza vaccine, when supplied to heart patients, reduced the death rate by 41 percent and the occurrence of another stroke by 14 percent during a year of follow-up since the vaccine was initially administered," according to the OHA." 

Signs of a viral infection, body pains, joint discomfort, headaches, fever, vomiting, sore throat, chest pain, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath when at rest and during physical exercise are among the symptoms of myocarditis.

"Always acquire the proper information from doctors, and keep an eye on the OHA's account for updates and news about heart health," the OHA added.

In this context, Dr. Zaid Al Hinai, associate dean of juvenile communicable diseases at Sultan Qaboos University's College of Medicine and Health Sciences, noted that a small fraction of persons in Oman who have cured from COVID-19 have developed cardiovascular difficulties.

"During the last few months, we've witnessed an increase in the incidence of stroke or heart attack across society, as well as among doctors in the field," he said. "These events raise questions about why such problems are becoming more common these days."

"The scientific evidence we have in this area, sadly, points to an increase in cardiovascular problems following significant waves of COVID-19 infections," he continued. "The good news is that most people who have recovered from COVID-19 will not develop these sequelae, and the immunizations continue to provide a high level of protection against these problems." Al Hinai cited a number of research from various universities that attempted to map the relationship between COVID-19 infection and heart problems.

One of the most compelling research in this area was published in the journal 'Nature Medicine' in February of this year. Researchers from the University of St. Louis in the United States examined the health outcomes of over 150,000 people who recovered from COVID-19, following up on their progress for up to a year after their recovery. "They discovered that even though these people had healed, their risk of heart disease and stroke had increased," Al Hinai added. "They discovered that roughly 45 from out  1,000 people who cured from COVID suffered from cardiac or coagulant problems at some time after recovery, which is a considerable rise from normal levels. 

"The study's authors stated that after waves of COVID-19 infection, health systems must be prepared to care for increased cardiovascular illnesses. They also stressed the necessity of early cardiac disease identification in those who have recovered from COVID-19.

While some may argue that heart issues are a common side effect of COVID vaccinations, Zaid Al Hinai was quick to deny this claim.

"While some have sought to blame these consequences on the immunizations, the truth is that the scientific data demonstrates that the vaccines have actually safeguarded against these cardiac abnormalities," he stated.

Al Hinai also cited a study from Case Western Reserve University to back up the conclusions that those who have recovered from COVID-19 had more heart problems. The research looked at 25,000 people who had been vaccinated but had contracted the infections and then recovered. They discovered that three months after infection, these individuals had a considerably lower rate of heart illness and death than those who had not been vaccinated and had been infected with COVID-19. This and other studies have revealed that vaccination not only reduces COVID-19's acute symptoms, but also its long-term consequences. 

"In conclusion, the scientific evidence we have points to an increase in cardiovascular problems after significant waves of COVID-19 infections," Al Hinai said. "However, the good news is that the majority of patients who recovered from COVID-19 would not experience these consequences, and that the vaccines have provided a high level of protection against them."