Corona Vaccine: Dr. Randeep Guleria said- Irregular lifestyle, not the Covid vaccine, is the reason for increasing cases of heart attack

A joint study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that there is no link between the corona vaccine and sudden cardiac arrest in young people. Former AIIMS Delhi Director Dr. Randeep Guleria also spoke exclusively to news agency IANS on Friday.

- There has been a lot of concern in various sections about the death of young people due to cardiac problems, sudden cardiac arrest, and one of the issues was whether it could have any connection with the coronavirus vaccine. These studies conducted by ICMR and AIIMS have clearly shown that there is no link between vaccination and sudden cardiac arrest.

If I say from personal experience, we have been seeing heart problems in young people even before Corona, and it has always been a matter of concern. The rapid change in our lifestyle in the last few decades may be related to habits that have now become more unhealthy. Eating a very fatty diet, which contains unsaturated fats, our diet has changed from green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits to fast food.

Second, exercise has gone down; most young people are doing desk jobs and not exercising, and that is leading to obesity or weight gain. So the combination of lifestyle, diet, and genetic predisposition has led to heart attacks and heart problems in our population about 10 years earlier than in the Western population. There is no connection between this and vaccination; it is more related to other causes.

Question: When and why did this become related? Do vaccines have a negative or positive effect on the human body?

- All medicines, whether it is vaccines or medication, have side effects. When it comes to vaccines, because they are given to healthy people, they are very closely monitored for side effects. This is done by the industry, governments, and a whole committee, which looks at adverse effects following immunization, AEFI. They have looked at all vaccine-related problems, and the data clearly shows that the side effects of vaccines are very minimal, and the benefits are very high. So there is no data to suggest that vaccines are causing harm. I would say they played a major role in India's fight against COVID-19, and we were able to conquer COVID-19 more quickly.

Question: There have been many deaths for which no cause could be found. Both their heart and lungs were working properly. So what kind of cause do you see?

- As I said, the deaths that are happening are more related to our lifestyle and inactivity. So I would say people should change their lifestyle, physical activities, take care of their weight, and be careful about food. One should return to traditional Indian food instead of going towards Western food. This is very important. There is no link between the COVID-19 vaccine and heart attack. It is more related to other reasons. But yes, young people are having problems, and we need to work on raising awareness.

Question: What is the impact of anti-ageing drugs, and do they need to be banned?

- Anti-aging drugs are becoming a huge industry, but it is unregulated because there are no scientific studies done to prove them, and many of them can have side effects, especially if they are taken for a long time. So I think there is a need to legislate on anti-aging drugs and see to it that they are given in a proper, judicious manner and are not misused. This applies to a large number of drugs available in the market. From anti-aging to sometimes muscle building, which are used in a variety of ways. If they are not useful and they are causing harm, then definitely such drugs need to be banned.