According to research presented at ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress 2022, found that the vaccines were not associated with an increased risk of worsening heart failure, venous thromboembolism or myocarditis in heart failure patients.

Our results indicate that heart failure patients should be prioritiSed for Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters,” said study author Caroline Sindet-Pedersen of Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.

The study suggests that there should be no concern about cardiovascular side effects from mRNA vaccines in heart failure patients. In addition, the results point to a beneficial effect of vaccination on mortality, said Dr. Sindet-Pedersen.

Patients with heart failure have more risk and need hospitalisation for mechanical ventilation, and death due to COVID-19. Vaccination reduces the risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

However, “Due to perceptions about possible cardiovascular side effects from mRNA vaccines in heart failure patients, this study examined the risk of cardiovascular complications and death associated with mRNA vaccines in a nationwide cohort of patients with heart failure,” said Dr. Sindet-Pedersen.

For the study, 50,893 unvaccinated patients with heart failure participated in 2019, while 50,893 vaccinated patients with heart failure in 2021, who were vaccinated with either of the two mRNA vaccines (BNT162B2 or mRNA-1273).

The two groups were matched for age, sex, and duration of heart failure. The median age of participants was 74 years of which 35 % were women and the median duration of heart failure was 4.1 years.

Starting from the date of the second vaccination for the 2021 group and the same date in 2019 for the unvaccinated group, participants were followed for 90 days for all-cause mortality, worsening heart failure, venous thromboembolism, and myocarditis.

The risk of adverse outcomes in two groups were observed and compared by the researchers, after standardising for age, sex, heart failure duration, use of heart failure medications, ischaemic heart disease, cancer, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and admission with heart failure less than 90 days before the first date of follow up.

The researchers found that receiving an mRNA vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of worsening heart failure, myocarditis or venous thromboembolism among 101,786 heart failure patients, but was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality.

The standardised risk of all-cause mortality within 90 days was 2.2 per cent in the 2021 cohort (vaccinated) and 2.6 per cent in the 2019 cohort (not vaccinated), showing a significantly lower risk for all-cause mortality in 2021 versus 2019.

(Inputs from IANS)