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Cocco N, Leibundgut G, Pelliccia F, Cammalleri V, Nusca A, Mangiacapra F, Cocco G, Fanale V, Ussia GP, Grigioni F. Arrhythmias after COVID-19 Vaccination: Have We Left All Stones Unturned? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10405. [PMID: 37373551 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination offered the opportunity to emerge from the pandemic and, thereby, worldwide health, social, and economic disasters. However, in addition to efficacy, safety is an important issue for any vaccine. The mRNA-based vaccine platform is considered to be safe, but side effects are being reported more frequently as more and more people around the world become treated. Myopericarditis is the major, but not the only cardiovascular complication of this vaccine; hence it is important not to underestimate other side effects. We report a case series of patients affected by cardiac arrhythmias post-mRNA vaccine from our clinical practice and the literature. Reviewing the official vigilance database, we found that heart rhythm disorders after COVID vaccination are not uncommon and deserve more clinical and scientific attention. Since the COVID vaccine is the only vaccination related to this side effect, questions arose about whether these vaccines could affect heart conduction. Although the risk-benefit ratio is clearly in favor of vaccination, heart rhythm disorders are not a negligible issue, and there are red flags in the literature about the risk of post-vaccination malignant arrhythmias in some predisposed patients. In light of these findings, we reviewed the potential molecular pathways for the COVID vaccine to impact cardiac electrophysiology and cause heart rhythm disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Cocco
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Gregor Leibundgut
- University Heart Center, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4053 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Pelliccia
- Department of Clinical, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Cammalleri
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Annunziata Nusca
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Mangiacapra
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Cocco
- Unit of Ultrasound in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti G d'Annunzio, 65122 Chieti, Italy
| | - Valerio Fanale
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Paolo Ussia
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Grigioni
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Clinical Management of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in COVID-19 Patients Referred to a Tertiary Cardiac Arrhythmia Center after Hospital Discharge. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11195661. [PMID: 36233529 PMCID: PMC9571676 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11195661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Available reports on the post-discharge management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in COVID-19 patients are scarce. The aim of this case series was to describe the clinical outcomes of new-onset AF in COVID-19 patients referred to a tertiary cardiac arrhythmia center after hospital discharge. Methods: All consecutive patients referred to our center for an ambulatory evaluation from 18 May 2020 to 15 March 2022 were retrospectively screened. Patients were included in the current analysis if new-onset AF was diagnosed during hospitalization for COVID-19 and then referred to our clinic. Results: Among 946 patients, 23 (2.4%) were evaluated for new-onset AF during COVID-19. The mean age of the study cohort was 71.5 ± 8.1 years; 87.0% were male. Median time from COVID-19 discharge and the first ambulatory evaluation was 53 (41.5–127) days; median follow-up time was 175 (83–336) days. At the in-office evaluation, 14 (60.9%) patients were in sinus rhythm, and nine patients were in AF. In 13.0% of cases, oral anticoagulation was stopped according to CHADS-VASc. Eight patients in AF were scheduled for electrical cardioversion; one patient was rate-controlled. Four patients were treated with catheter ablation (CA) during follow-up. Two post-cardioversion AF recurrences were detected during follow-up, while no recurrences were diagnosed among patients who underwent CA. Conclusion: Our data suggest that AF may not be considered as a simple bystander of the in-hospital COVID-19 course. Management of new-onset AF in post-COVID-19 patients referred to our clinic did not significantly differ from our usual practice, both in terms of long-term oral anticoagulation and in terms of rhythm control strategy.
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