New research suggests COVID-19 vaccines could offer benefits beyond safeguarding against the coronavirus: they also appear to decrease the risk of heart failure and blood clots associated with SARS-CoV-2. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers, entails an analysis of data encompassing 10.17 million vaccinated individuals and 10.39 million unvaccinated individuals across the UK, Spain, and Estonia.
After adjusting for variables such as age, gender, and pre-existing conditions, vaccinated individuals were found to have a notably lower risk of cardiac and clot-related complications following COVID-19 infection, lasting up to a year. “Our findings likely reflect the effectiveness of the vaccines in reducing infection and minimizing the risk of severe COVID-19,” says data scientist Núria Mercadé-Besora from the University of Oxford in the UK.
“These results may encourage COVID-19 vaccination among hesitant individuals concerned about potential vaccine side effects.” Compared to unvaccinated individuals, COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a 78 percent lower risk of venous blood clots, a 47 percent lower risk of arterial blood clots, and a 55 percent lower risk of heart failure within the first 30 days post-infection.
While these risk reductions diminished over time, they remained at 50 percent, 38 percent, and 48 percent, respectively, between 181 and 365 days. Although previous studies have reported similar findings, this investigation stands out as one of the most comprehensive in terms of the number of participants studied and the duration of monitoring.
Blood clots, which can lead to strokes, and heart failure are known to be more prevalent following a COVID-19 infection. While the research doesn’t establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship, it does imply that vaccination against the disease also mitigates the risk of subsequent complications.
The team acknowledges the complexity of the situation, emphasizing that COVID-19 vaccines have been predominantly proven to be safe and effective, with benefits outweighing potential drawbacks. Nonetheless, they advocate for further research to delve into the protective effects of COVID-19 vaccines in greater detail. “The protective effects of vaccination align with documented reductions in disease severity, but additional research is needed to explore the impact of booster vaccinations in various populations,” says Mercadé-Besora.
The research findings have been published in Heart.
