An increase in myocarditis cases has spiked heart attacks among young male athletes by nearly 30%.
Key Details
- Young athletes, including Damar Hamlin, Bronny James, Zak Herbstreit, Tori Kelly, Demi Washington, and Caleb White, have suffered heart issues in the past year, and several died.
- People between the age of 25 and 44 saw a 29.9% increase in heart attack deaths due to myocarditis, according to The Journal of Medical Virology.
- “The research is showing that the COVID infection … increases the stickiness of the blood, which increases cases of blood clot formation,” says The Growth Lab host Dr. Josh Axe.
- Researcher Zihad Al-Aly M.D. argues that 4% of people who contracted COVID-19 will develop heart issues, including irregular heartbeats, heart failure, or heart attacks.
- The UK’s National Health Service announced on Monday that it will be rolling out a new campaign to bring awareness of heart attack signs to young people, Sky News reports.
Why It’s Important
Myocarditis, a condition involving inflammation of the heart muscles, has become more common in the aftermath of the pandemic—with experts ascribing this as a side effect of the disease.
The condition is often a side effect of viral infections, parasitic infections, alcoholism, drug use, heavy metal exposure, and nutrition deficiency. The number of cases has spiked in the aftermath of the pandemic across all age groups, creating unusually high statistics among young people.
Possible Solutions
As Dr. Josh Axe notes in his recent episode of The Growth Lab, myocarditis is a serious medical condition that must be treated by a trained physician, but some solutions can help address underlying issues. By “getting the whole body healthy, reducing inflammation, and reducing comorbidities that increase the likelihood of issues related to myocarditis,” patients can improve their overall health.
This can be done through dietary changes. Eliminating processed sugars, refined grains, hydrogenated oils, and fast food can reduce bodily inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods, including those containing Omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, berries, wild organic meats, products with collagen, herbs and spices, and healthy fats, help thin the blood and reduce blood clotting. Omega-3 fish oil, CoQ10, turmeric, hawthorn, and astragalus can also help as supplements.
Notable Quotes
Vaccine skeptics widely attribute the rise in heart issues and myocarditis as a side effect of COVID vaccines, most notably Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. X.com owner Elon Musk also claimed this was possible in a deleted tweet from last month. “We cannot ascribe everything to the vaccine, but, by the same token, we cannot ascribe nothing. Myocarditis is a known side effect. The only question is whether it is rare or common,” he says.
Community notes fact-checked this claim, saying, “Studies show that the risk of myocarditis is significantly higher after an actual Covid infection than with the vaccine. Among adolescent boys, the risk of myocarditis following a Covid infection was approximately twice that of the risk following the second vaccine dose.”