Latest news with #SriJayadevaInstituteofCardiovascularSciencesandResearch
News18
an hour ago
- Health
- News18
No Link Between Covid Vaccine & Sudden Cardiac Deaths: Karnataka Govt Research Amid Hassan Surge
Dr KS Ravindranath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said, 'We haven't seen a direct link between vaccine or COVID and heart attacks." Amid the surge in heart attack fatalities in Hassan district, a research commissioned by the Karnataka government prior to the incident has found no causal link between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths. The report has attributed the rise to an increase in conventional risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Speaking to CNN-News18, Dr KS Ravindranath, Director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said, 'We haven't seen a direct link between vaccine or COVID and heart attacks." 'Risk factors have gone up post Covid' Dr Ravindranath highlighted that their observational pilot study at Jayadeva Hospital, examining over 200 patients under 45 in April and May, did not find an association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of COVID-19 infection or vaccination. But he highlighted that the risk factors had gone up significantly post COVID. 'Post-Covid, we have seen a 6-8% increase in other risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, etc.," Dr Ravindranath noted, emphasising the shift in risk profiles. He further clarified that these increases are also observed in younger demographics (20-30 year olds), attributing it to stress, lifestyle changes, and potential hormonal shifts post-Covid, alongside job losses. 'Hassan incident in line with broader trend' Regarding the ongoing probe into deaths in Hassan district, Dr Ravindranath clarified that it's not an isolated epidemic, but rather in line with broader trends. 'What we have seen is that most of the private hospitals there, if you look at most of the people admitted there due to heart attacks, 200 plus," he explained. 'Any heart attack has a 5-6% mortality rate, up to 8% sometimes, in that range, mortality is known. So when the numbers are more, obviously the deaths are severe." He added that India's incidence of heart attacks has generally risen compared to Western countries, occurring about 10 years earlier on average. The report's recommendations include establishing a cardiac surveillance program, a national registry for sudden cardiac deaths among young adults, routine heart screenings at the school level, and public health campaigns promoting healthy lifestyles to address the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases. On Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah speaking on the possible link between the vaccine and heart attack, Dr Ravindranath said that a member of civic society had petitioned the CM. 'There is a belief among people and health professionals that they are linked. So to clear the doubts of the public, he had asked whether the vaccine could cause it. The expert committee did not find a link," he said. 'Need for post-mortem' Dr Ravindranath stressed on the need for post-mortem for cases of heart failures, registry of sudden cardiac deaths of youngsters, health checks of high school children to discern heart-related issues. On the Hassan case, he said, 'We have asked for details and sent a questionnaire to the local health officials to understand what happened there…Compared to Western countries, heart attacks take place in India 10 years younger. We have seen a 15 per cent increase in youngsters coming to Jayadeva to check on their heart function." Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : anti covid vaccine cardiac arrest heart attacks news18 specials Location : Bengaluru, India, India First Published: July 07, 2025, 17:15 IST News india No Link Between Covid Vaccine & Sudden Cardiac Deaths: Karnataka Govt Research Amid Hassan Surge
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Sudden heart attack deaths among people under age of 45 declared notifiable in Karnataka
All sudden heart attack deaths among the young (aged below 45 years) in Karnataka will now have to be notified to the Health Department. On July 7, the Health Department declared sudden heart attack deaths among people below the age of 45 as 'notifiable' on the basis of a recommendation by the expert committee that was set up to study the link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden cardiovascular events. The committee is headed by K. S. Ravindranath, Director the State-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru. Amid mounting public anxiety over the rising trend of sudden cardiovascular events (heart attack, sudden cardiac death) post-COVID-19 pandemic, the Karnataka government had in February this year set up the expert committee to evaluate the temporal and potential causal links with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination. The committee has not found any association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of COVID-19 infection or COVID vaccination. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who made the announcement on July 7 after a meeting to discuss the recommendations of the expert committee, said the government of Karnataka would start monitoring sudden heart attack deaths reported among those below the age of 45. 'Any such deaths that occur outside a hospital will have to be mandatorily reported to the Department. Following the committee's recommendations, we will now make the autopsy of all such deaths compulsory to ascertain the cause of death. Directions in this regard will be issued soon,' the Minister said. Pointing out that the observational study by the State's expert panel as well as several published international studies had not found any link between COVID vaccination and cardiovascular events, the Minister stated, 'In fact, COVID vaccination has been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long term. The only complaints are with regard to mRNA vaccines that have been known to cause myocarditis in some cases. However, mRNA vaccines have not been used in our country,' he said. The Minister said, 'We will start screening of congenital heart defects in school children aged 15 and above. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), an emergency procedure that is done when someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped, will be provided to the general public through NGOs and like-minded organisations. We will also start annual basic health screening for all government employees, including outsourced and contract staff,' Mr. Rao said. Pointing out that all corporate and private companies will be directed to mandatorily provide annual health screening for their employees, the Minister said, 'We are also screening people for non-communicable diseases through our 'Gruha Arogya'' scheme. We will soon discuss with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on what further health benefits can be given to our employees,' he said. He said the Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi Yojane - that is currently being implemented in 86 government hospitals - will soon be extended to all taluks. In 2023, the Health Department named Karnataka's heart attack (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction - STEMI) management project at taluk level as Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi scheme. The project launched to avoid delay in providing diagnosis and treatment to heart attack patients in rural areas is being implemented on a 'hub and spoke' model. AEDs in public places The Minister said the process of installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places, including bus stands, railway stations, airports, the Vidhana Soudha, courts, etc. will be expedited. 'Although we had announced this earlier, there were some hitches as we need trained personnel to use these devices. We will again explore possibilities of deploying trained personnel from the nearest health facilities in designated public places wherever possible and start providing this service soon,' he said. Dr Ravindranath said post-COVID there was a significant rise in the prevalence of common risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease. 'Our study has not found any single cause behind the observed rise in sudden cardiac deaths. Rather, it appears to be a multifactorial issue, with behavioral, genetic, and environmental risks. While in the immediate post-COVID phase, there is an increase in the incidence of sudden cardiovascular events due to a pro-inflammatory state, the same cannot be held to be true in the long term (>1 year). It has been three years since the end of the pandemic,' Dr Ravindranath added.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Sudden deaths to be declared notifiable disease in Karnataka amid scare over Covid-19 vaccines
To ascertain the cause of sudden deaths among individuals below 45 years, the Karnataka government has decided to declare such deaths as a notifiable disease. The decision comes in the wake of speculations over Covid-19 vaccines being responsible for such deaths in the state. Addressing a news conference on Monday, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government would start monitoring sudden deaths reported among those below the age of 45. The decision has been taken based on the recommendations submitted by an expert committee formed under Dr C N Ravindranath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, to investigate sudden cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and cardiac deaths, and their possible links to Covid-19 vaccines. The committee, however, found no causal link between the vaccines and cardiac deaths among the youth. 'Sudden deaths will be a notifiable disease. If someone dies outside a hospital suddenly, it should be reported to the government. Autopsy will also be compulsory to ascertain the cause of death,' Rao said, adding that the Health and Family Welfare Department would issue directions for the same. On speculation that the vaccines were linked to cardiac deaths, he said that there were complaints about mRNA vaccines causing myocarditis in some cases. 'However, none from the country was administered with it,' the minister said, adding that the Covid-19 vaccines helped save lives. Dr Ravindranath, who was also present at the news conference, said that there was a five to six per cent increase in cardiac deaths post-Covid, which he attributed to a change in risk factors for cardiac diseases due to altered lifestyle since the pandemic. 'Cardiac deaths are not caused by just one reason. It is multifactorial,' he said, adding that more than 50 per cent of the cases were caused due to smoking. Referring to a meta-analysis carried out by scientists on those affected by Covid-19, he said that 20 per cent of the patients who recovered continued to face fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and breathing problems. 'But there were no heart attacks or cardiac-related diseases,' he added.
News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
No Causal Link Between Covid Vaccination And Sudden Cardiac Deaths: Karnataka Govt Report
Last Updated: The study, which has nothing to do with the probe into cardiac-related deaths in Hassan, was commissioned to look into the rising trend of sudden cardiovascular events in India Amid a series of heart attack-related deaths reported from a single district, a Karnataka government study has found that there is no causal link between Covid-19 vaccination and sudden cardiovascular deaths. The study, which has nothing to do with the investigation into the deaths in Hassan, was recently commissioned by the state government to look into the rising trend of sudden cardiovascular events in India. The study has shown that there is no single cause for the observed increase in sudden cardiac deaths and, notably, found no causal association to the coronavirus vaccination. It states that conventional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking remain prevalent among patients, although a significant minority presented without these traditional risk factors. Dated July 2, the The observational pilot study was chaired by Dr KS Ravindranath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. According to the report, while previous Covid-19 infection may contribute to a pro-inflammatory state in the immediate post-infection phase, this is not a long-term factor (beyond one year). It further suggests that an increase in common heart disease risk factors is the most likely explanation for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events. Recommendations include establishing a cardiac surveillance programme, a national registry for sudden cardiac deaths among young adults, routine heart screenings at the school level, and public health campaigns promoting a healthy lifestyle. First Published: July 06, 2025, 19:57 IST
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Early onset of cardiac issues a pointer to lifestyle changes, lack of physical activity: Ravindranath
The early onset of cardiac issues among the youth is an indicator of lifestyle changes including food and absence of physical activity, which are a matter of concern, said K.S. Ravindranath of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research here on Sunday. He was speaking at an event organised by the Ursu Jagrathi Academy Charitable Trust in Mysuru on Sunday, marking Doctors' Day. Dr. Ravindranath said nearly 60 to 70% of deaths are due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), of which heart-related ailments account for nearly 25%. He pointed out that these are largely the result of lifestyle changes — sedentary habits, poor dietary choices, increased intake of red meat, processed and junk food, and reduced physical activity, even among children, said Dr. Ravindranath. He said that in contrast to earlier generations who lived well into their 80s, today's generation is battling obesity, hypertension, and diabetes at much younger ages. Many people are unaware they have high blood pressure or sugar, and these are silent killers, he cautioned and urged those in the age group of 30 to 40 to undergo medical check-ups periodically. Dr. Ravindranath expressed concern over rising substance abuse, including smoking and ganja consumption, as well as increasing psychological stress and environmental pollution, all of which are taking a toll on public health. On the challenges faced by the medical community, he expressed concern over attack on the medical fraternity. 'Doctors dedicate their prime years to study and service, often at the cost of family time. Society places immense trust in doctors, but we are sometimes unable to save lives when patients are brought in critical condition. This has led to unfortunate instances of violence against doctors and hospitals, which should stop,' he said. While noting that laws have been enacted to protect medical professionals from such assaults, he also flagged shortage of personnel and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas as pressing concerns. 'Despite constraints, many doctors continue to serve in rural and taluk-level hospitals,' he said. Six doctors were felicitated on the occasion for their outstanding service in the medical field and presented with 'Vaidyashree' awards. They are Jayaprakash Narayan of Bengaluru, and five others from Mysuru, Rajashekar, Rajeshwari, S. Kumar Raj Urs, Kavitawadi, and P. Shastar.
