Cardioprotective effects of vaccination in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Abstract Background COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to prevent and reduce the severity of COVID-19 disease. Aim The aim of this study was to explore the cardioprotective effect of COVID-19 vaccination in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, we included hospitalized COVID-19 patients with confirmed vaccination status from July 2021 to February 2022. We assessed outcomes such as acute cardiac events and cardiac biomarker levels through clinical and laboratory data. Results Our analysis covered 167 patients (69% male, mean age 58 years, 42% being fully vaccinated). After adjustment for confounders, vaccinated hospitalized COVID-19 patients displayed a reduced relative risk for acute cardiac events (RR: 0.33, 95% CI 0.07; 0.75) and showed diminished troponin T levels (Cohen’s d: -0.52, 95% CI -1.01; -0.14), compared to their non-vaccinated peers. Type 2 diabetes (OR: 2.99, 95% CI 1.22; 7.35) and existing cardiac diseases (OR: 4.31, 95% CI 1.83; 10.74) were identified as significant risk factors for the emergence of acute cardiac events. Conclusion Our findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination may confer both direct and indirect cardioprotective effects in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.