A study published in Nature Communications has found that the rates of heart attacks and strokes decreased after COVID-19 vaccination compared to before or without vaccination.
This research involved nearly the entire adult population of England and was conducted by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Bristol, and Edinburgh, with support from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre at Health Data Research UK.
The researchers analyzed health records from 46 million adults in England between December 8, 2020, and January 23, 2022.
They compared the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, following vaccination to the rates before or without vaccination during the first two years of the COVID-19 vaccination program.
The findings showed a notable reduction in the incidence of arterial thromboses, including heart attacks and strokes, after vaccination. Specifically, in the 13 to 24 weeks following the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the incidence of these events was up to 10% lower.
After the second dose, the incidence was reduced by up to 27% for those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine and up to 20% for those who received the Pfizer/Biotech vaccine. The study also found a similar reduction in common venous thrombotic events, such as pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.
Dr. Samantha Ip, co-first author and Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, noted, “We studied COVID-19 vaccines and cardiovascular disease in nearly 46 million adults in England and found a lower incidence of common cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, following each vaccination than before or without vaccination.”
She emphasized that this research supports the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination program in providing protection against severe COVID-19 and saving millions of lives globally.
While previous research identified rare cardiovascular complications after some COVID-19 vaccines, such as myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA-based vaccines (like Pfizer/Biotech) and thrombotic thrombocytopenia following adenovirus-based vaccines (like AstraZeneca), this study did not find new adverse cardiovascular conditions linked to the vaccines. It supports the conclusion that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.
The incidence of cardiovascular disease is known to be higher after COVID-19, particularly in severe cases, which might explain why vaccinated people have lower rates of heart attacks and strokes compared to unvaccinated people. However, further explanations are beyond the scope of this study.
Professor William Whiteley, Associate Director at the BHF Data Science Centre and Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, stated, “This England-wide study offers patients reassurance of the cardiovascular safety of first, second, and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
It demonstrates that the benefits of second and booster doses, with fewer common cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes after vaccination, outweigh the very rare cardiovascular complications.”
The study used de-identified linked data from GP practices, hospital admissions, and death records, analyzed in a secure data environment provided by NHS England.
Dr. Venexia Walker, co-last author and Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, highlighted the importance of continuing to study the benefits and risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines.
She noted that the availability of extensive population-wide data allowed for the study of different vaccine combinations and rare cardiovascular complications, emphasizing the value of large-scale data and cross-institutional collaborations.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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