BETHESDA, MD – A recent study from Japanese researchers has found tiny scars in the hearts of people who died suddenly after receiving COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. These scars, which were not visible on regular heart scans, were discovered during autopsies of three patients who had unexplained heart problems before their deaths. All three had received multiple vaccine doses, but only one had ever been infected with COVID-19.
The researchers believe these micro-scars could be linked to inflammation or small blood vessel issues possibly caused by the vaccine. They suggest more research is needed to determine whether these changes could be detected before they lead to serious heart problems.
While this study raises questions about possible vaccine-related heart damage, experts stress that heart problems after vaccination are rare and that COVID-19 itself poses a much higher risk of heart complications. Health officials continue to monitor vaccine safety and encourage further research to understand these findings better.
The study was conducted by Dr. Tomomi Koizumi and Dr. Masao Ono of the Mito Medical Center in Ibaraki, Japan and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Is There A Test You Can Get To Identify If You Have These Tiny Scars?
Currently, there is no standard medical test available to detect the micro-scars (MMS) that were identified in the Japanese study. These tiny scars were only found during post-mortem (after death) autopsies using histopathological examination, a process that involves slicing heart tissue and analyzing it under a microscope with special stains.
However, some tests might indicate potential heart issues that could be related to this condition, though they wouldn’t directly confirm the presence of these specific scars:
- Cardiac MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- This is the best non-invasive imaging tool for detecting fibrosis (scarring) in the heart.
- However, the scars in the study were too small to be detected by standard imaging techniques.
- Echocardiogram (Heart Ultrasound)
- This test can assess heart function and detect structural abnormalities, but it likely wouldn’t detect micro-scars.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- An EKG can detect irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) that could result from scarring.
- It does not directly identify micro-scars but could show electrical disturbances in the heart.
- Blood Tests (Cardiac Biomarkers)
- Certain blood markers like troponin levels can indicate heart damage.
- These would only show active heart stress or injury, not past scarring.
- Endomyocardial Biopsy
- This involves taking a small sample of heart tissue and examining it under a microscope.
- This is rarely performed and is usually reserved for serious heart conditions like myocarditis.
Editors Note: This information is based on current studies and may evolve as further research is conducted.
