Chagas Heart Disease in the United States: A National Study From 2003-217
Author Type(s)
Faculty
Document Type
Abstract
Publication Date
5-2021
Journal Title
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Department
Medicine
Abstract
Background
Chagas heart disease (CHD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection that can cause myopericarditis as well as chronic fibrosing myocarditis resulting in a dilated cardiomyopathy with several complications. It is the most common cause of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America. Demographic data in the United States are limited.
Methods
We used U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases 2003 through 2017, and with appropriate ICD-9 and ICD 10 codes, we identified adult patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of Chagas disease and CHD.
Results
A total of 2,978 hospitalizations were identified with a diagnosis of Chagas disease, of which, CHD presents in 74.73% (2,230) of cases (mean age 56.75±14.38 years, 51.31% women, 75.83% Hispanic). It is most prevalent in West Coast (36.51%), large (64.49%), teaching (84.58%) hospitals. Congestive heart failure (64.21%) (CHF) was the most common cardiac complication. In patients with CHD, cardiac arrhythmias (CAR) were present in 41.81%, conduction abnormalities in 12.43%, embolic stroke was present in 0.84% of patients, cardiac devices were implanted in 4.65% of the hospitalizations (Table 1). Median length-of-stay was 8.12 days, median hospital cost was 27,596.72 USD and all-cause mortality was 2.67%.
Conclusion
Hospitalizations for CHD are rare in the US and were more frequent in the west coast states. CHD patients have a significant burden of CHF and CAR.
Recommended Citation
Jin, C. Y., Yandrapalli, S., & Aronow, W. (2021). Chagas Heart Disease in the United States: A National Study From 2003-217. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 77 (18 Suppl. 1), 849. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0735-1097%2821%2902208-7
