Unreviewed Paper Shared as Proof of Link Between mRNA Vaccine & Heart Disease

The abstract is not peer reviewed nor does it contain any data that could prove the claims made in the text.

Fact-Check | An abstract published in the American Heart Association was falsely presented as a study proving the link between mRNA vaccines and heart diseases.

(Photo: The Quint)

A research abstract published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation was shared as evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, increase a person’s risk of heart disease by several social media users and Indian right-wing website OpIndia.

The 319-word abstract claims that research has found COVID-19 mRNA vaccines “dramatically increase” inflammation and that in turn “may account for the observations of increased thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and other vascular events following vaccination.”

However, we found that the abstract was not a peer-reviewed study. Usually abstracts are considered initial research, which may or may not result in a peer-reviewed study, depending on its findings. Experts observed that the abstract in question didn't have proper data on the research it conducted.

The AHA later published an "Expression of Concern" and pointed out that the text may not be reliable and that a “suitable correction” was needed.

CLAIM

The "study" and an analysis of the same done by commentators on a British television channel called GN News was shared by several social media users. In the news segment, a London-based cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra was seen talking about the abstract.

Right-wing propaganda website OpIndia, too, picked up the news and misrepresented the abstract as a "study."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

Archives of more such posts on Facebook and Twitter can be found here and here.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We checked the AHA's website for the "study" and found that only an abstract was published in the journal called Circulation on 8 November.

The abstract, which has several typographical errors, draws its conclusion from a small data set of 566 patients, without giving the details of any statistical analysis performed.

The author of the journal is called Steven R Gundry, a retired cardiac surgeon. According to his website, Gundry now writes books on diets and sells food supplements. Previous claims made by Gundry have been questioned by experts.

It is important to note that both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines went through clinical trial processes wherein thousands of people were given the vaccine. Following its approval, millions around the world have received the vaccines.

We then noticed an "Expression of Concern" linked to the abstract.

"Soon after publication of the above abstract in Circulation, it was brought to the American Heart Association Committee on Scientific Sessions Program’s attention that there are potential errors in the abstract. Specifically, there are several typographical errors, there is no data in the abstract regarding myocardial T-cell infiltration, there are no statistical analyses for significance provided, and the author is not clear that only anecdotal data was used," it read.

"We are publishing this Expression of Concern until a suitable correction is published to indicate that the abstract in its current version may not be reliable," the AHA statement added.

Retraction Watch, a blog that reports on retractions of scientific papers, contacted the AHA for further clarifications. A spokesperson reiterated the points made in the "Expression of Concern" and added:

"The Association regrets any confusion regarding the Association’s position on COVID-19 vaccines, especially among the lay public who may be unfamiliar with scientific meetings. The American Heart Association itself has been unequivocal in its belief in and support of vaccination as the best available public health strategy to address the pandemic. The American Heart Association continues to fully support the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination recommendations."

PhD scientist called Dr Lander Foquet was one of the people who attended the presentation on the paper. He shared a tweet thread where he pointed out several problems in the paper, including the fact that it didn't contain any references.

Other scientists also dismissed the abstract and called out the misinformation in it.

CASES OF HEART INFLAMATION VERY RARE: US CDC

It is, however, important to note that the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has added rare cases of heart inflammation as a possible side effect of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in their respective fact sheets.

A meeting conducted by the vaccine safety panel, including advisory groups of the US FDA and CDC in June, concluded that the instances of the rare heart inflammation reported in the US are likely linked to the mRNA vaccines. However, health authorities continued to recommend the vaccine for all those over the age of five as the benefits outweigh the risks.

According to the CDC, "The known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccination."

Due to the rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, the US CDC has asked people to look out for symptoms such as chest pain, fluttering or pounding heart, and shortness of breath.

If someone, particularly those under 30, experiences any of these symptoms within one week of being vaccinated, the CDC recommends seeking medical help.

Misinformation around COVID-19 and its vaccine has contributed greatly towards vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization yesterday said that several countries in the world have very less vaccine coverage and asked the health authorities in those countries to speed up the vaccination process, especially when the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly.

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