Latest news with #myocarditis
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pennsylvania Boy, 10, dies of heart attack just a day after he helped baseball team win championship
A 10-year-old baseball player who helped his team secure a championship win has died from a heart attack, leaving a Pennsylvania community reeling. Bryson Funk, of Linglestown, passed away on Thursday after suffering from a cardiac arrest linked to myocarditis, which causes inflammation in the middle layer of the heart's wall. His family told CBS 21 he was born with congenital heart defects - coarctation of the aorta and a deformed bicuspid aortic valve - but doctors said these conditions had nothing to do with his death. Just a day before the unexpected tragedy, the little league athlete pitched the final three innings of his team's championship game. He struck out the opponents' last batter and lead the Colts to victory. 'Bryson was quite the athlete,' Nicki Branther, one of Bryson's relatives wrote on a GoFundMe page created to cover funeral expenses. The shocking death has rattled his friends, teammates and loved ones, who have taken to social media to honor the 'vibrant' and 'active' young man. 'Yesterday, our baseball family lost a shining light far too soon,' the Lower Paxton Township Community shared in a heartbreaking Facebook tribute on Friday. 'He brought energy, kindness, and a true love for the game to every field he stepped on.' The Linglestown Baseball Association described Bryson as a 'vibrant and talented All-Star' who 'brought energy, kindness, and a true love for the game to every field he stepped on.' His team brought Bryson's jersey to games over the weekend, honoring the player gone too soon. Bryson was not only a talented pitcher, but a valued addition to the 717 Athletics cheerleading team. 'Bryson brought so much joy, laughter, and light into the lives of all who knew him,' the team wrote. 'His time with us was far too short, but the love he gave and the memories he created will forever live on in our hearts.' The Peyton Walker Foundation, a nonprofit group committed to raising awareness to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) among young people and advocates for regular heart screenings, also addressed Bryson's death. The organization said: 'We are heartbroken at the Peyton Walker Foundation to learn of the tragic loss of Bryson Funk, a young athlete in our community. 'Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and all who are grieving. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.' Roughly 2,000 kids die from SCA each year in the US, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. These sudden heart attacks are most common among males between the ages of 10 and 19. While SCA is considerably rare, it accounts for up to five percent of deaths among five to 19-year-olds, Johns Hopkins reported. In addition to the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $42,000, a Meal Train was created to support Bryson's grieving parents, Todd and Amy, and his younger sister.
Health Line
6 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Heart Arrhythmia After COVID-19 Vaccine: A Very Rare Side Effect
Arrhythmia is not a known side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. But ongoing monitoring has shown rare instances of heart complications in people who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines. Arrhythmia affects the rate or rhythm at which the heart beats. Your heart might beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), too early (premature contraction), or erratically (fibrillation). Arrhythmia can also be a sign of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle. Myocarditis is a very rare side effect of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. You're more likely to experience arrhythmia or myocarditis caused by COVID-19 itself than from the COVID-19 vaccine. At least 2 out of every 10 people hospitalized with COVID-19 experience heart problems, including damage to their heart muscle and arrhythmia. This is what scientists mean when they say the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. Keep reading to learn more about heart arrhythmia and myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination. What the research says Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that higher than normal cases of heart inflammation have been reported in the United States after COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. These heart issues occurred mostly in males between ages 12 and 39 after they received the second dose of the vaccine, usually within a few days of receiving the vaccine. This side effect hasn't been observed in people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the Novavax protein subunit vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. These vaccines contain genetically engineered mRNA that teaches your cells how to create antibodies capable of fighting the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Traditional vaccines, like the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, contain genetic material from the virus, which also helps your body create antibodies. A 2021 analysis of CDC data found that people ages 12 to 39 who received their second COVID-19 mRNA vaccine had about a 13 in 1 million chance of experiencing heart inflammation. In other words, this side effect is exceedingly rare. Another 2021 study involved people ages 16 and up who were vaccinated against COVID-19. It also found slightly increased risks of heart inflammation after participants' first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the first 28 days after vaccination. This research included the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. This risk of myocarditis did appear to be a bit higher after a second dose of the Moderna vaccine — not the other vaccines studied — and was only observed in people younger than 40. Vaccination for people with preexisting heart conditions Even though arrhythmias are sometimes associated with myocarditis, no direct association was found between arrhythmia and COVID-19 vaccination. The American Heart Association recommends that anyone with heart disease get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. This is because they're at a much greater risk of heart-related complications from the coronavirus than they are from any COVID-19 vaccine. However, if you or your child has experienced myocarditis after a vaccine before, discuss your options with your doctor before getting vaccinated. What are the symptoms of heart arrhythmia? Arrhythmia doesn't always cause symptoms — that's why you'll sometimes hear it called 'asymptomatic.' But possible symptoms can include: chest pain shortness of breath feeling like the heart is fluttering or pounding (palpitations) rapid heartbeat slow or irregular heartbeat A 2021 study suggests that most people suspected to have myocarditis after COVID-19 experienced chest pain about 2 or 3 days after the second dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Arrhythmia during COVID-19 Arrhythmias are more often seen after developing COVID-19 than after vaccination. In small studies conducted in Wuhan, China, during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, arrhythmias occurred at a rate of 16.7% of people hospitalized with COVID-19, with 44.4% of those who were hospitalized being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). A retrospective 2021 study of 3,970 COVID-19 admissions at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City found that atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF/AFL) happened in 10% of study participants. AF/AFL was also associated with a 46% higher risk of death — compared with 26% of study participants who had no arrhythmias. Viral infection is the most common cause of inflammation in the heart muscle in children. Children who develop myocarditis after COVID-19 also typically experience a more severe case than if it happens after a COVID-19 vaccination. Heart complications can occur even after you recover from COVID-19. Common vaccine side effects Heart problems are a very rare side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. More common side effects are mild and temporary, including: fever pain and soreness at injection site fatigue headache chills body aches These side effects occur as the vaccine triggers a response from your immune system. In other words, these side effects mean the vaccine is doing its job. Is the COVID-19 vaccine still effective? When first studied in earlier coronavirus variants, COVID-19 vaccines were shown to be roughly: 95% effective at preventing coronavirus infection 94% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths among fully vaccinated adults Yet viruses constantly change. Several new variants have emerged since the novel coronavirus first appeared. But even though the first COVID-19 vaccines aren't as effective at preventing infection by the Delta or Omicron variants, they offer significant protection against these variants by reducing your risk of: severe illness hospitalization death Research published in 2022 estimates that COVID-19 vaccines are still up to 90% effective at preventing severe outcomes of COVID-19, including the need for invasive mechanical ventilation or death. People who are fully vaccinated and received a third booster had the highest level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization. Newer boosters have since been developed. Who should get a COVID-19 vaccine? Under the new administration, the CDC recommends that most people ages 18 years and older get an annual COVID-19 vaccine, while those 6 months to 17 years old and pregnant people make a personal decision with their loved ones. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends vaccination for every child 6 months or older, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends vaccination for all pregnant people.
Medscape
11-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Study Shows Safety of Pharma-Grade CBD for Myocarditis
An oral formulation of pharmaceutically manufactured cannabidiol (CBD) that targets inflammatory pathways in myocarditis and pericarditis has been shown to be as safe as placebo in not elevating cardiovascular risks, results of a prospective trial have shown. The placebo-controlled trial enrolled 89 people with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or at least one major risk factor for the condition who had been hospitalized for noncritical COVID-19. Leslie Cooper Jr, MD 'There are 45 or so who received pharmacologically produced CBD who had no increase in overall or cardiovascular adverse events, and in particular there was no prolongation of the QT interval,' Leslie Cooper Jr, MD, chair of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, told Medscape Medical News . Cooper presented a poster on the study at Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (HFA-ESC) 2025. The findings confirmed the safety of CBD doses up to 7.5 mg/kg twice daily used in the ARCHER trial in myocarditis and the MAVERIC trial in pericarditis, Cooper said. Study Shows Safety Signal The researchers designed the study during the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate if people hospitalized for noncritical COVID-19 with a history of or a risk factor for CVD were also at an increased risk for cardiac inflammation, Cooper said. The study was stopped early because the pandemic ended. 'The findings were underpowered for efficacy, but they did support a safety signal,' he said. The study found no significant differences in adverse events between the CBD and no-CBD groups. For example, the rate of gastrointestinal disorders was 22.2% in the CBD group and 20.5% in the placebo group. Nervous system disorders were observed in 17.8% of CBD patients vs 18.2% of placebo patients. Eleven percent of CBD patients had respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders compared with 9% of placebo patients. The rates of cardiac adverse events were also similar between the two groups. No patients in the CBD group vs three (6.8%) of those in the placebo group had tachycardia. One case of atrial fibrillation, cardiac failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, and pericardial effusion was observed in the CBD group vs none in the placebo group. One patient in the placebo group vs none in the CBD group had atrial flutter. Most cases of myocarditis are mild and resolve spontaneously without long-term consequences, Cooper said. However, about 25% of cases have significant cardiovascular sequelae, including arrhythmias and heart failure. 'We know, based on clinical grounds, how to identify those complex patients who are probably going to have a rocky long-term course,' he said. New Treatments Needed While one drug, rilonacept (Arcalyst), has been approved for the treatment of recurrent pericarditis, no approved drugs for myocarditis exist. New treatments are also needed for cardiomyopathy. Bettina Heidecker, MD, head of Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy at the German Charité Heart Center in Berlin, Germany, told Medscape Medical News , said current therapies such as corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants carry long-term risks such as osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, infections, and organ toxicity, 'A pharmaceutically standardized CBD formulation could offer a targeted anti-inflammatory approach with a more favorable side effect profile,' Heidecker told Medscape Medical News . 'This would be particularly beneficial for younger or lower-risk patients, or those in whom prolonged immunosuppression is problematic.' Heidecker said the new data provide a rationale for continued investigation of CBD in myocarditis and pericarditis. 'It will be exciting to investigate how individual patients respond to CBD, particularly early in the treatment course,' she said. Heidecker and her team in Berlin have been studying the utility of noninvasive magnetocardiography to detect myocardial inflammation and monitor response to anti-inflammatory therapy with the hope that the approach 'may help identify early responders and guide personalized treatment strategies with CBD.' The trial was funded by Cardiol Therapeutics. Cooper is a consultant to Cardiol Therapeutics. Heidecker holds patents for RNA-based diagnostics in myocarditis and holds pending patents on magnetocardiography for diagnosing cardiomyopathy. She reported financial relationships with Biomagnetik Park Hoilding, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Trump's FDA drops Covid vaccine bombshell as Pfizer and Moderna admit heart damage risk
The FDA is forcing Pfizer and Moderna to use expanded warning labels about the risks of heart damage tied to Covid vaccines. The shots previously included warning labels about the rare risks of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, inflammation of the sac-like lining surrounding the heart. The new labels will expand that warning to certain age groups — specifically males aged 16 to 25 who appear to be at the highest risk of the rare complication. The new guidance comes as an FDA analysis of insurance claims found myocarditis and pericarditis occurred in one in 125,000 doses of the 2023-2024 shots for children and adults under 65. For men under 25, the risk was 19 per 500,000, or the equivalent of one in 250. Experts caution there have been no US deaths directly tied to Covid vaccine-triggered myocarditis and that the Covid virus itself is linked to heart damage, meaning the benefits of vaccination might still outweigh the small risk. The CDC previously acknowledged both conditions were known side effects of the vaccines but did not provide a number of cases. It's unclear exactly when the new labels will go into effect or if Pfizer or Moderna disputed the order. The news comes after a Congressional investigation accused Biden White House officials of purposely covering up warnings about myocarditis in young people. The report suggested a planned Health Alert Network (HAN) message from the CDC on myocarditis was not released, and drafts of the alert downplayed risks. The order is also the latest in the Trump administration's crackdown on Covid vaccines. Last week, reports from Department of Health and Human Services suggested the shots would no longer be routinely recommended for pregnant women, children and teens in the US. And the FDA announced earlier this week that updated Covid vaccines would no longer be automatically approved for use without clinical safety trials. With myocarditis, it's thought that the immune system may register mRNA in Covid vaccines as a threat, leading the immune system to attack itself and cause inflammation of the myocardium, the heart's muscle. This same mechanism has been linked to pericarditis, which leads to inflammation of the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. Both conditions have been linked to viruses like the common cold and hepatitis, as well as Covid. While most cases are mild, in rare instances, myocarditis can damage the heart and make it difficult for it to pump blood, eventually leading to heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. CDC officials told the FDA's vaccine advisors last month that acute myocarditis ' tends to resolve quickly' after vaccination. The CDC's voluntary side effect reporting database VAERS, has logged over 1,600 cases of myocarditis in the US, primarily in young men 12 to 29 after they received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The FDA said the call for new warnings was spurred by data from the agency's safety surveillance system and results from an October study of people who developed Covid vaccine-associated myocarditis. Scientists followed up with people who suffered chest pain and elevated levels of troponin in their blood, a protein that signals heart damage. Most of the participants were adolescent males. The researchers wrote in the study, which was co-authored by FDA officials: 'While their clinical course was nearly always mild with a low prevalence and extent of cardiac dysfunction, myocardial injury was common.' Currently, there is no conclusive evidence of deaths in the US directly caused by myocarditis from Covid vaccines. For example, a 2023 Oregon study reviewing death certificates found no fatalities linked to vaccine-induced myocarditis in individuals aged 16–30. However, some researchers caution that underreporting is possible due to gaps in America's healthcare system, where mild or atypical cases may go unrecorded. Still, the consensus among health authorities is that fatal outcomes from vaccine-related myocarditis—if they occur—are extremely rare, while the risks of severe Covid, including heart damage, remain well-documented.
CNN
22-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
FDA requires Covid vaccine makers to expand warning about risk of rare heart inflammation
The US Food and Drug Administration will now require Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna to use expanded warning labels with more information about the risk of a rare heart condition after vaccination. The vaccines' previous labels warned about the risk of a heart condition called myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, inflammation of the lining outside the heart, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says is rare but possible after vaccination. The new labels will expand that warning to certain age groups. Research has consistently shown that the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and millions of people have gotten them without serious incident. Some studies have found that Covid-19 infection itself carries a higher risk of myocarditis or pericarditis than the vaccine does. The CDC last month told its independent vaccine advisers that research showed Covid-19 vaccinations from 2020 through 2022 showed a statistically significant increased risk of myocarditis. The incidents were rare, however, and 'there is no increased risk observed with the doses administered in subsequent years,' the agency said. In the rare case that someone did develop heart inflammation after vaccination, the CDC told the advisers, acute myocarditis typically resolves quickly. The vaccines already carried warnings that the highest risk of these heart problems was observed in males between ages 18 and 24 for the Moderna vaccine and 12 to 17 for Pfizer's; the new warnings for both vaccines will be for males age 16 to 25. In letters to Pfizer and Moderna that were dated April 17 and are now posted online, the agency says analysis of commercial health insurance claims data shows that there were eight cases of myocarditis and/or pericarditis per million vaccine doses given to people ages 6 months through 64 years. Cases were more common among males ages 16 through 25 within seven days of vaccination, but they were still rare, with about 38 cases of myocarditis and/or pericarditis per million doses among this group. A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that the move was intended to increase 'radical transparency.' Neither Pfizer nor Moderna responded to requests for comment. The vaccines were developed during the first Trump administration and underwent what the CDC says was 'the most intensive safety analysis in US history,' and the agency continues to monitor vaccine administration data for effectiveness and any potential problems. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has falsely claimed that the Covid-19 vaccine was 'the deadliest vaccine ever made.' In a US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, claimed that the Biden administration downplayed the risks of the vaccine and delayed getting information about those risks to the public. One witness, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a family physician, said in his testimony the US vaccine safety monitoring systems worked 'exactly as intended' by detecting rare cases of myocarditis. 'The data were made public, warnings were updated, and clinical guidance was revised accordingly,' Green said. 'Despite this, some continue to promote misleading interpretations, unverified claims or anecdotes to suggest that vaccines are broadly unsafe.' The FDA has taken recent steps to limit Covid-19 vaccines for certain groups. On Tuesday, the FDA said it would change the type of evidence it will accept from vaccine manufacturers to approve updated Covid shots, which may limit who is eligible for updated shots. The vaccines are expected to be be available in the fall, but only for adults 65 and older and people with underlying conditions that put them at a higher risk for severe Covid-19 infection. In an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Vinay Prasad, the new director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said there's not enough evidence that healthy children and adults get clinically meaningful benefit from regular Covid-19 shots, and officials want to see more placebo-controlled trials, particularly in adults 50 to 64, before recommending the shots for other groups. On Thursday, the FDA's vaccine advisers – the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee – will meet to discuss the coronavirus strain selection for this fall's Covid-19 vaccines. CNN's Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
