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Toxoplasma Gondii infection and cardiovascular mortality: sex-specific differences in a United States
Lihua Huang1, Xiaoyan You1, Zhanpeng Lu2
1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China.
Insights
Toxoplasma gondii infection increases cardiovascular disease mortality risk in men but not women. This finding highlights potential sex-specific differences in parasitic infection impacts on heart health.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is a known cardiac pathogen.
- The specific risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality associated with T. gondii infection is not well-established.
- This study investigates the link between T. gondii infection and CVD mortality in the US population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between T. gondii infection and cardiovascular disease mortality.
- To explore potential sex-specific differences in this association.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009-2014.
- Determined T. gondii infection status via serum IgG antibody levels.
- Linked NHANES data with national mortality records and employed Cox proportional hazard models.
Main Results:
- Included 10,237 participants (5,010 men, 5,227 women) aged ≥20 years.
- 1,632 participants tested positive for T. gondii antibodies.
- T. gondii infection was associated with a 40% increased risk of CVD mortality in men (HR: 1.40), but not in women (HR: 0.87).
Conclusions:
- T. gondii infection is linked to higher CVD mortality risk specifically in men.
- No significant association was found between T. gondii infection and CVD mortality in women.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these sex-specific differences and their clinical implications.
Background:
Although Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection has been linked to cardiac injury, the extent to which it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between T. gondii infection and CVD mortality in the United States population.
Methods:
This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2009 and 2014 to investigate the association between T. gondii infection and CVD mortality. The T. gondii infection status was determined by measuring serum T. gondii IgG antibody levels. CVD mortality outcomes were ascertained through linkage with the national mortality index records. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of T. gondii infection on CVD mortality.
Results:
A total of 10,237 (Male, n = 5010; Female, n = 5227) individuals aged ≥ 20 years were included in the analysis, of which 1,632 were positive for T. gondii serum IgG antibodies. After a median follow-up of eight years, there were 312 deaths due to CVD. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, the risk of death from CVD was 40% higher in T. gondii-seropositive men compared with seronegative men (HR: 1.40; 95%CI: 1.02-1.93), but not in women (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.57-1.34). These results remained consistent in further stratified and sensitivity analyses.
Conclusion:
In this large population-based cohort study, T. gondii infection was associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality in men, but not in women. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and potential sex-specific differences in the effects of T. gondii infection on CVD mortality. Future investigations should focus on validating these results and exploring the potential implications for cardiovascular risk assessment and management.
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