Updated COVID Shots Cut Major Heart Event Risk 38% in 1 Million-Patient VA Study
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Jun 15
Updated COVID Shots Cut Major Heart Event Risk 38% in 1 Million-Patient VA Study
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Jun 15
Summary
A JAMA Internal Medicine study of 1,039,659 VA patients found the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine reduced COVID-associated major cardiovascular events by 38% over eight months.
Researchers compared 349,085 patients who got both flu and COVID shots with 690,574 who received only a flu shot, using the latter group as the control.
The absolute benefit was modest: estimated COVID-associated major adverse cardiovascular events fell to about 3 in 10,000 from roughly 5 in 10,000.
Protection was strongest in patients 75 and older and in those with underlying medical conditions, suggesting the updated shots still blunt heart attack, stroke, heart-failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death risk despite viral evolution.
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Landmark Studies Show Covid-19 Vaccines Reduce Cardiac Events by 24% and Offer Lasting Cardiovascular Protection
Overview
Recent landmark studies show that Covid-19 vaccination provides strong protection for the heart, reducing all-cause cardiac events by nearly 24% in a large group of U.S. veterans. This benefit goes beyond preventing severe Covid-19, lowering the risk of heart attacks, strokes, hospitalizations, and deaths. The protection remains even as the virus changes and more people gain immunity. Experts believe vaccines help by reducing hidden cases of Covid-19 that often go undetected but still harm the heart. These findings highlight the important role of vaccination in protecting cardiovascular health, especially as the virus continues to circulate.