A study discovered that young people were affected the most by heart attacks during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles published a study in September 2022 on the matter.
Researchers discovered that while acute myocardial infarction deaths throughout the pandemic spiked across all ages, the most notable increase was for the youngest group of individuals between the ages of 25 to 44.
The press release on the study explains, “By the second year of the pandemic, the ‘observed’ compared to ‘predicted’ rates of heart attack death had increased by 29.9% for adults ages 25-44, by 19.6% for adults ages 45-64, and by 13.7% for adults age 65 and older.”
According to the research, in 2019, the year before the pandemic, there were 143,787 deaths related to heart attacks.
Within the first year of the pandemic, the number went up by 14%, reaching 164,096, per the study.
Dr. Susan Cheng, a cardiologist at the hospital and co-author of the study, explained what COVID-19 can do to the cardiovascular system.
“It appears to be able to increase the likelihood of blood clot formation,” Cheng said.
She added, “It seems to stir up inflammation in the blood vessels. It seems to also cause in some people an overwhelming stress… that can also cause a spike in blood pressure.”
Additionally, Cheng said it could be related to “higher viral load exposure” or “excess immune response in stronger immune systems.”
Check out her comments below:
Doctors and researchers are beginning to see connection between COVID surges and heart attacks. @ErinNBCNews and Senior Medical Correspondent for @NBCNews @DrJohnTorres share more. pic.twitter.com/LoFzsUx6R8
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 9, 2023
Dr. Yee Hui Yeo, first author of the study and a Cedars-Sinai physician-scientist, said they are “still learning the many ways by which COVID-19 affects the body, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or race.”
He claimed there are “several potential explanations for the rapid rise in cardiac deaths in patients with COVID-19, yet still many unanswered questions.”
Yeo added, “Importantly, our results highlight disparities in mortality that have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and that are persisting even through the Omicron era.”
He suggested the potential explanations are that “COVID-19 may trigger or accelerate the presentation of preexisting coronary artery disease, even in younger adults.”
NBC News senior medical correspondent Dr. John Torres noted in a story Thursday research shows “you’re 11 times more likely to develop myocarditis from COVID itself versus the vaccine.”
The comments come as recent deaths of younger individuals sparked conversation around the vaccine and whether that could be the cause.