Myocarditis in young males after COVID vaccine: New study suggests what may cause the rare heart condition
Several studies have shown that in rare cases, adolescent and young adult males have developed myocarditis after receiving mRNA. The covid-19 vaccine – and now new research published in the journal Science Immunology sheds some light on the possible causes.
Scientists at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, tested a group of 23 patients with vaccine-associated myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and/or pericarditis (inflammation and inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart). . .
The scientists found that the condition was not caused by the antibodies produced by the vaccine, but by the body’s natural immune response to the vaccine.
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“The [researchers] “In terms of immune responses, many different mechanisms were tested and were able to rule out adaptive immune responses – therefore, there is no specific antibody-mediated response to target the virus or the heart,” said Dr. Donald M. Lloyd. -Jones said, immediately past president of the American Heart Association and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.
In rare cases, adolescent and young adult men have developed myocarditis after receiving the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine – and now new research sheds light on the possible causes. (iStock)
After reviewing the study results, Lloyd-Jones told Fox News Digital that the researchers identified “a non-specific immune response in which the heart looks innocent, non-specific inflammation and some fibrosis (scar tissue).” with the formation of.”
Patients were healthy before vaccination
The 23 patients included in the study ranged in age from 13 to 21 years, with an average age of 16 years. According to the journal Science Immunology, 87% of the group was male.
All patients were “generally healthy” before receiving the vaccine, according to a discussion of the study’s results in the journal. Most of them started experiencing symptoms within four days after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BionTech Covid-19 vaccine.
“It doesn’t seem to have long-term consequences for the heart.”
Researchers discovered several possible causes of myocarditis, including an immune response to vaccine-triggered antibodies, an allergic reaction to vaccines and antibodies that specifically target the heart, the journal Science noted.
After ruling out those possibilities, they concluded that the vaccine triggered an exaggerated immune response in which The heart was inadvertently affected.
Symptoms of myocarditis
In the Yale study, participants experienced many of the symptoms commonly associated with myocarditis, including chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle pain and excessive sweating.
Most cases of vaccine-associated myocarditis resolve quickly with treatment.
Common treatments include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen) and Blood pressure medicationsAccording to Beaumont Health’s website.
Scientists tested 23 patients with vaccine-associated myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and/or pericarditis (inflammation and inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart). (iStock)
In rare cases, patients may need IV drugs or machines to support the heart.
“Even if this inflammation occurs, it seems to be fairly self-limiting and doesn’t seem to have long-term consequences for the heart,” Lloyd-Jones said.
As experts recommend, anyone experiencing symptoms should see a doctor for testing and medication as needed.
The risk remains low, experts say
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescent and young adult males occur within a week of receiving the second dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
However, this may occur after the first dose or after a booster dose.
Myocarditis is a very rare complication of the mRNA vaccine, affecting about one in every 50,000 people, Lloyd-Jones said.
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“The chance of having serious complications (heart, lung, brain and more) is much higher than having the Covid-19 virus itself if you don’t get vaccinated without this rare complication of the vaccine,” Lloyd-Jones told Fox News Digital. has done,” Lloyd-Jones told Fox News Digital.
“People have to be aware of the risks and weigh them against the much greater risks of complications from actually getting them. The Covid-19 virus And make an informed decision, using information from reliable sources,” he added.
Most rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescent and young adult males occur within a week after receiving a second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. (iStock)
As for whether young people will develop the condition post-vaccination, Lloyd-Jones said it appears to be an “idiosyncratic reaction” that cannot be predicted.
“This happens within a few days to two weeks after vaccination,” he added. “It has not been seen since to my knowledge.”
The study had limitations
The study authors pointed out some limitations, mainly the small size of the patient group.
“Although our cohort of LNP-mRNA vaccine-associated myopericarditis is the largest studied to date, and our hypothesis is consistent with published reports of other patients, the number of participants remains limited to draw broad conclusions,” the researchers wrote. ,” the researchers wrote. Findings
“The potential for serious complications remains much higher than for the Covid-19 virus.”
They noted that there was also some variation in age, vaccine dose and time since vaccination.
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Moreover, it is unclear how Genetics can come into play with the risk of myocarditis, the authors said.
The study also lacked biopsy samples of heart tissue.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Yale researchers seeking comment.
