Socio-epidemiological factors and comorbidities associated with Chagas disease manifestations in two urban reference health care centres in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Background: Chagas disease (CD) is still an important public health issue in Latin America. This study aims to analyse the association between socio-epidemiological factors and comorbidities with clinical manifestations of CD.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 985 adult patients (65±11 y; 59.5% women) with CD. Data collection was based on questionnaires and medical records review. CD clinical forms (indeterminate, digestive, cardiac and cardiodigestive) and the stages of the cardiac form were classified according to the II Brazilian Consensus on CD. Statistical analyses were based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Older age and Brazilian birth state (Minas Gerais and Bahia) were associated with a greater likelihood of the cardiac form of CD. A greater likelihood of the digestive form was seen in men and those of older age. Patients with arterial hypertension and diabetes were less likely to have the digestive form. Men had a greater likelihood of having a more severe cardiac presentation. Those from Minas Gerais and Bahia states had a greater likelihood of having stage B1 or B2.
Conclusions: The results reinforce the aging of the CD population living in urban areas in Brazil, the high prevalence of comorbidities and that epidemiology, sex and the presence of comorbidities may be related to the clinical form of CD.
(© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)