A surprising benefit of the Covid-19 vaccine has been found in a new study.
The study published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday concluded that those who received the jab in 2024 and 2025 may have a lower risk of Covid-19-related major adverse cardiovascular events, known as MACE.
MACE is a broad term that includes cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure.
The study analyzed more than 1 million U.S. veterans with an average age of 70.1 years.
Scientists found that the Covid-19-related MACE risk reduction was more pronounced among those 75 years or older and those with other medical conditions.
At eight months, vaccination was associated with a 38 percent lower risk of Covid-related MACE among veterans, according to the study.
But researchers noted that the risk reduction was statistically significant only in those older than 75 years.
Scientists did not address some limitations of their study, such as the fact that they just analyzed veterans, who are predominantly older, white and male.
The study also didn’t analyze variant-specific vaccine effectiveness. There have been several high-profile Covid-19 variants, including Omicron, Delta and Alpha.
But researchers wrote in the study that their findings “provide timely evidence to help inform clinical and public health discussions about the role of updated Covid-19 vaccines in the current epidemiologic context.”
There has been skepticism surrounding Covid-19 vaccines ever since they were developed in the height of the pandemic.
Just this past February, the most commonly reported vaccination concern among adults was “possible serious or unknown side effects” for the Covid-19 shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But there were also many adults who reported no concerns about Covid-19 vaccines, the CDC noted.
Public health agencies have said that Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
