New Research Links COVID-19 Infection – and Vaccination – to a Debilitating Heart Condition

Human Heart Anatomy

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system and is characterized by an abnormal increase in heart rate upon standing up. This can cause symptoms such as lightheadedness, fainting, fatigue, and headaches.

Smidt Heart Institute researchers show the risk of developing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, is five times higher after COVID-19 than after vaccination.

A team of investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai has published research in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research that confirms a connection between Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination.

The study suggests that a small proportion of individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 may develop POTS, which is a debilitating heart condition characterized by an abnormal increase in heart rate upon standing. Furthermore, their findings indicate that people diagnosed with COVID-19 are five times more likely to develop POTS after contracting the virus than after vaccination, emphasizing the importance of receiving the vaccine.

“The main message here is that while we see a potential link between COVID-19 vaccination and POTS, preventing COVID-19 through vaccination is still the best way to reduce your risk of developing POTS,” said Alan C. Kwan, MD, first and corresponding author of the study and a cardiovascular specialist at Cedars-Sinai.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a nervous system-related condition that most commonly affects young women of childbearing age. The most identifiable POTS symptom is a rapid increase in the heartbeat of more than 30 beats per minute or a heart rate that exceeds 120 beats per minute, within 10 minutes of standing.

Other symptoms include fainting, dizziness, and fatigue, although some patients with severe disease may also experience migraine, increased urination, sweaty extremities, anxiety, and tremor.

To validate their findings, the study authors used data from 284,592 vaccinated patients treated within the broader Cedars-Sinai Health System between the years 2020 and 2022, as well as 12,460 Cedars-Sinai patients with COVID-19.

“From this analysis, we found that the odds of developing POTS are higher 90 days after vaccine exposure than the 90 days prior to exposure,” said Kwan. “We also found that the relative odds of POTS were higher than would be explained by increases in visits to physicians after vaccination or infection.”

Kwan emphasizes that despite this finding, the rates of POTS after vaccination were much lower than rates of new POTS diagnosis after COVID-19.

“This knowledge identifies a possible—yet still relatively slim—association between COVID-19 vaccination and POTS,” said Kwan.

Many patients—especially those who developed POTS prior to the COVID-19 pandemic—spent years trying to get properly diagnosed. This is because many healthcare providers are unfamiliar with the disease and its symptoms, which often can be incorrectly attributed to chronic fatigue syndrome or other conditions. However, COVID-19 has expanded the medical field’s understanding of POTS.

“In an unexpected but important way, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a great deal of awareness to POTS—both to patients and providers,” said Peng-Sheng Chen, MD, an expert on the condition who leads one of only a few POTS specialty clinics in the nation. “Given a broader understanding of the disease, many patients can be diagnosed more quickly permitting earlier interventions that can greatly improve their symptoms.”

Many effective interventions involve lifestyle modifications, Chen says, including avoiding triggers such as prolonged standing, extreme heat, extreme cold, and alcoholic beverages. Additional recommended measures may include eating a high-sodium diet and wearing abdominal or lower-body compression garments. Certain medical therapies can also be considered.

Patients treated for POTS at the Smidt Heart Institute often are encouraged to join the cardiac rehabilitation program, which aims to strengthen the body and heart.

While the Nature Cardiovascular Research study sheds important light on vaccinations and POTS, researchers say it has its limitations. The hope, however, is this new knowledge will help improve conversations around COVID-19 and vaccines.

“We recognize as clinicians that side effects from vaccines can vary in type and severity, even if still uncommon overall. We hope that clearer data and improved understanding will eventually enhance medical trust and quality of care as well as communications around vaccines,” said Kwan. “Ultimately, our goal is to optimize vaccine uptake.”

Reference: “Apparent risks of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome diagnoses after COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-Cov-2 Infection” by Alan C. Kwan, Joseph E. Ebinger, Janet Wei, Catherine N. Le, Jillian R. Oft, Rachel Zabner, Debbie Teodorescu, Patrick G. Botting, Jesse Navarrette, David Ouyang, Matthew Driver, Brian Claggett, Brittany N. Weber, Peng-Sheng Chen and Susan Cheng, 12 December 2022, Nature Cardiovascular Research.
DOI: 10.1038/s44161-022-00177-8

43 Comments on "New Research Links COVID-19 Infection – and Vaccination – to a Debilitating Heart Condition"

  1. Why is “The main message here…vaccination is still the best way to reduce your risk”? I realize the numbers in this study showed this disease is more likely with COVID than with its vaccine. There are complicating factors, like the vaccinated who then get COVID. But they’ve just identified a long term health risk from a vaccine which was administered to as many people as possible without long term study being possible. If this wasn’t COVID, instead a more uncommon vaccine that can cause a chronic and even terminal disease like POTS, the conclusion would be uncertainty, not a ringing endorsement. The Lymerix vaccine was pulled for causing lyme-like adverse effects less-serious than lyme itself, but get your COVID vaccine?

    • They forced people to take this vaccine. This was the problem.your job forced yiu to take the vaccine or lose yiur job. Know people majority of people are at risk of a heart issue.

  2. Clare Goldsberry | January 10, 2023 at 11:04 am | Reply

    I am confused as well about the statement that while the study’s authors see a “potential link between Covid-19 vaccination and POTS, preventing Covid-19 through vaccination is still the best way to reduce your rise of developing POTS” — strange when even the CDC admits that the vaccine does not prevent Covid-19 which by now everyone has heard, so what is the point? The only people I know still coming down with Covid/variants are those who are vaccinated. I personally know a 12-year-old boy who had 5 heart attacks within 24 hours after his second Pfizer shot. This doesn’t even make sense!

    • Sure you do.

      You anti vaxxers always resort to none verifiable anecdotal nonsense to push your ridiculous anti science narratives.

      • Says one who literally resorts to name calling, without a shred of a scientific bone or argument in their body. May you continue to pretend that anti vaxxer is a slur with your own bs “anecdotal” bias. May ye continue ruining the science by bullying people out of contributing their own side effects data to the vaers reporting system. And by proping up Corporately funded propaganda over the real peer-reviewed and unbouhght science.

      • Michael Anderson | January 16, 2023 at 3:53 pm | Reply

        It seems to be a common theme for the left and the folks acting like sheep to start calling names and mocking intelligent people when they have nothing of substance to back up their claims. Shame on you Phuk U, I’m sure that’s not your name. I’m not afraid to give mine.

      • Regardless of vaccination status,there needs to be a complete Governmental analysis on whether the “trial” works or not?. Having a subset of non vaxxed is the only way to ensure correct results regardless of any side effects. Otherwise what’s the point of a “Trial” then when everyone has it?

  3. What a bunch of 💩…
    “people diagnosed with COVID-19 are five times more likely to develop POTS after contracting the virus than after vaccination, emphasizing the importance of receiving the vaccine.”
    PAID for by the cdc, Faux-chinese news network and your friends at the pharmaceutical industry!

  4. I see we have the usual ignorant comments from the foolish right wing nuts.
    They’ll have an mRNA vaccine for cancer fairly soon. You wingnut fairies can pass on that too. I hope you do! BTW, more Republicans died of Covid than Democrats so there is some good in that anyway. Republicans deserve everything bad to happen: lose social security and medicare and get sick and die from stupidity. Sounds good!

    • Sounds like someone needs a booster!!! 😉

      • Look at the different in the number of each kind of patients. How do you come to any conclusion with 100x the candidates on the consensus side. Talk about a bunch of bull. I hope y’all communists, I mean democrats, get the wrath of God for destroying this amazing Country.

      • So im just beyond words. I have suffered these symptons SINCE THE VACCINE . I CONTRACTED COVID 19 / Sars 2 a year ago i had to wait quite a while lile 3 months to HAVE to get vaccinated and only since then have these symptons been regular and worse . WHEN I mentioned it to my doctors they looked at me like it was a far reach to accuse the vaccine. Its still happening and doctors in Pocatello Idaho do not listen to patients nor do they srem to want to deal with it. They d prescribed unreal sedatives and antidepressents even multi vitamins. They wont scan or screen for any possible covid sideeffects or symptons . hey but i can get prescribed a truck load if un needed and even life threatening anti depresents and sedatives i never mentioned or talked about.
        Gee my headache is throbbing now

    • Ha ha ha. Don’t be a hater because you acted like sheep and you may die from the JAB.

    • Anderson Cooper. | January 16, 2023 at 3:55 pm | Reply

      They may be right and theyay have wings but at least I have nuts. I hear men have to give their nuts up when they join the left.

  5. Umm that’s the take away from this study? I think the fact that they found the rate for myocarditis was almost 10x higher after the vaccine vs the virus in men is a bit interesting…

  6. The study actually shows something quite different from the conclusion, considering that the vaccine cannot prevent infection. Obviously deliberate Covid misinformation. I wonder why they don’t remove it?

  7. This article is either very poorly written, or else seems to imply that if 5 times as many people get vaccinated as catch COVID then the total harm done over the entire population is the same as that done by COVID to the unvaccinated. Plus it doesn’t explain what happens to those who have been vaccinated and then catch COVID anyway. It would also seem to imply that people who get COVID, not having been vaccinated, then have only the same risk for myocarditus as those who were vaccinated twice, and followed that with 3 booster shots later. SciTech should apologize for having posted this one.

    • Ha ha ha. Don’t your so horribly comfused. It’s not a conspiracy theory if it’s real be a hater because you acted like sheep and you may die from the JAB.

  8. More shill articles from your friendly Vaxx company. Even now, with it all out in the open, these people just keep repeating the same mantra. It’s not working anymore. You people need to hide. Those who took the Vaxx are going to hang you all.

    • EXACTLY. They basically just sold themselves out. Hopefully people will pull their heads out of there asses and Grow some balls again someday soon.

  9. stephen p schaffer | January 11, 2023 at 10:19 am | Reply

    “said Kwan. “We also found that the relative odds of POTS were higher than would be explained by increases in visits to physicians after vaccination or infection.” I have read and reread this quotation and have no idea what is being said. Is this another case of a foreigner having poor English skills?

  10. “From this analysis, we found that the odds of developing POTS are higher 90 days after vaccine exposure than the 90 days prior to exposure,” so you are saying before vaccination you are less likely to get POTS, but after it is more likely… Funny cause it also said unvaccinated people are 5x more likely to get POTS than vaccinated… Contradictory statements galore… So as others have said after vaccination and THEN getting Covid, cause vaccination doesn’t prevent squat, you are even MORE likely to get POTS… Makes all these people dropping after vaccination and Covid infection truthful. I will stick with my 5x chance versus the alternative…

    • ME TOO…I will never trust another Government or pharmaceutical company in my life. Lucky the educated people no that the government can’t control you, so thank God I have never had it and will never put that crap in my body.

    • Anderson Cooper | January 16, 2023 at 4:01 pm | Reply

      The word dic in in Contra-dic-tory.
      Heh heh

  11. Covid is more about control than it is a disease at this point. Certain groups want to tell you what you can say, think and even what kind of stove you have to use. That is the opposite of the FREEDOM for which that the USA was founded. But they are Communists and want us to be like China (who released the virus in the first place and just opened air travel so they can spread it some more after ending Zero Covid so that we suffer more economic pain instead of just them).

    By the time some of our younger generation figure out WHY Communism is BAD, it’ll be too late for them. Their freedoms will be GONE and their lives controlled by the state (you know the Rich and the Corporations who control everything). They like to call people on the Right “nuts” but I can’t imagine anything more nuts than their own agendas. I used to vote Democrat, but the Pandemic opened my eyes to the crazy extremism that has overtaken the Democratic Party. I’m no fan of Republicans (Independent since voting age), but I’d rather vote for a lava rock than a Democrat at this point. NEVER AGAIN.

  12. I just need to chime in here about the illustration of the anatomy on display. The depiction of the aorta and its branches is so so disappointing. I’m sure the illustrator had a deadline, but 3 seconds of google images for a reference. Geez. Smh

  13. ABSOLUTELY

  14. Bring on the anti vaxxers with their delusions of grandeur.

    Y’all barely graduated from high school but somehow you’ve acquire more medical knowledge than trained professionals with years of schooling and clinical experience.

    I also find it amusing that you Neanderthals think you’ve stumbled on some great conspiracy theory put in play by the left, WE and the WHO.

    • So Doctors R.Malone, P. Mccullough, S. Bhakdi, R. Cole, P. Alexander, and all the other doctors worldwide sounding the alarm about the ineffectiveness and adverse effects of these mRNA shots barely graduated High School? Interesting. And here I thought you had to go to college to become a doctor.

  15. Terrible article…the facts are people who are vaccinated can still get covid . So of your vaccinated and get covid is it then 10 times the risk? That is what the article is saying so the head line should be vaccinated people who contract covid are at 5 times the risk of pots vs non vaccinated.

  16. Shame on you.
    First you said the study “confirms”, then you say the study “suggests.”
    Please read about the study that is ongoing before cherry picking.
    COVID surges seem to be the predicator to these heart issues, NOT vaccinated status.

  17. I’m afraid that I would fall in line with the skeptics above. In my younger days I was an investigator and, regardless of what I was investigating, if I smelled a rat, somewhere in all the fluff, there was a Rat! Any usually it was an old dead one with a nefarious and offensive odor emanating from it. ~~ Show us your study and the reviews rather than simply providing your assumptions

  18. It has been proven over and over again… the vaccination does not prevent infection or even transmission of infection. So if infection leads POTS the vaccinated are likely to recieve the same risk..

  19. I’d rather catch it and fight it off naturally as God and Nature intended.

    Clinton Executive Order 13139 made MILLIONS of victims of the NON-FDA APPROVED, EXPERIMENTAL ANTHRAX VACCINE, which was MANDATED by the DOD.

  20. My daughter and son-in-law age 48 and 52 died with covid 8/2021. They didn’t receive a vaccination. Left behind an 18 and 21 yr.old How do they get through college? Just asking!

  21. The vaccine does NOT stop anyone from contracting the virus, nor does it stop a person from spreading it. Standard math ( you know… 2+2) dictates that vaccinated or not, a person’s risk of developing POTS is the same.

  22. I am more ‘suspish’ of this article than I am of a new vaccine that was made for a new virus. If POTS wasn’t being diagnosed 90 days prior to Covid depending on a Doctor’s familiarity with POTS may have attributed POTS symptoms to something else instead of calling it POTS? And then after COVID people started looking for POTS. I would expect more cases of POTS to be found when more Doctor’s started specifically looking for it while noting both a person’s vaccination statis as well as their confirmed infection status even though a patient can test positive and have no symptoms or mild symptoms and not necessarily because more instances of POTS actually exist? This article is a very confusing presentation of a possible Covid side effect. Like a chart or a graph depicting some data that was measured might help? I think there is enough misinformation floating about that people deserve something more hardy.

  23. I was diagnosed with POTS within 90 days of my 4th vaccine. However, I have been suffering with POTS for over 2 years since having covid well before my first vaccine. After 3 heart monitors, beta-blockers, 10 X-rays, a CT scan, a tilt test, an echocardiogram, and numerous tests. Nobody is getting POTS from the vaccine… they got it from covid.

  24. Holy 💩!!! The study shows that both the virus AND the vaccine cause increase the risk of POTS (5-time more likely from the virus than vaccine), and yet the author/s suggest voluntary injecting this dangerous concoction into your body (!!!!)

    There is ZERO evidence that the vaccine prevents one from contracting COVID, and their study shows that receiving the vaccine increases the risk of POTS. These authors should be fined for suggesting such a dangerous thing!!!

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