Immune Systems Advisor

Abstract  Unheralded cardiac arrest among previously healthy young people without antecedent illness, months or years after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, highlights the urgent need for risk stratification. The most likely underlying pathophysiology is subclinical myopericarditis and reentrant ventricular tachycardia or spontaneous ventricular fibrillation that is commonly precipitated after a surge in catecholamines during exercise or the waking hours of terminal sleep. Small patches of inflammation and/or edema can be missed on cardiac imaging and autopsy, and the heart can appear grossly normal. This paper reviews evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to cardiac arrest where unfortunately the majority of victims have had no antecedent clinical evaluation. We propose a comprehensive strategy for evaluating cardiovascular risk post-vaccination, incorporating detailed patient history, antibody testing, and cardiac diagnostics in the best attempt to detect abnormaliti...

Heart attacks were once thought of as a disease of age - but worrying new data shows they are increasing  in healthy young adults.  Roughly 0.3 percent of Americans aged 18-44 had a heart attack in 2019 - but last year that rose to 0.5 percent, or one in 200.  While that may still seem like a relatively low number, it represents a 66 percent increase in cases in just four years, which doctors call 'alarming.' It also means that one in five heart attack patients are now younger than 40.  A number of factors are thought to be at play including rampant drug use, obesity, sedentary lifestyles and bad diets. But the timing strongly implies the Covid pandemic has played a role.   The virus itself causes widespread inflammation in the body that can damage the heart or lead to blood clots.  Depression , anxiety and stress also surged among young people during lockdowns - and all three have been linked t...