No Link Between Covid Vaccine & Sudden Cardiac Deaths: Karnataka Govt Research Amid Hassan Surge

Last Updated:July 07, 2025, 17:20 IST

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."

Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao denied there was any link between Covid vaccine and heart attacks. (X)

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."

Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao during a press briefing said, “There has been a 4-5% increase in deaths due to heart attacks in the general population after Covid, but this cannot be connected to either Covid or Covid vaccines. Our research shows that there is no connection between Covid and sudden heart attack deaths. It is due to various factors such as higher incidence of BP and blood sugar, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. As far as the Covid vaccine is concerned, there is no negative impact associated with it."

‘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."

Harish Upadhya

Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi...Read More

Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi...

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