Association between cardiometabolic risk factors and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: A case-control study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a significant global health challenge, particularly in high-burden nations like Nepal.
• The influence of cardiometabolic risk factors on MDR-TB development remains under-researched, despite known individual risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sociodemographic factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, and MDR-TB in Gandaki Province, Nepal.
• To identify key risk factors for MDR-TB to inform public health interventions.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 61 MDR-TB patients (cases) and 122 drug-sensitive TB patients (controls) was conducted.
• Data on sociodemographics, cardiometabolic factors (alcohol, tobacco, BMI, hypertension, diabetes), TB literacy, and treatment history were collected via questionnaire.
• Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to determine associations with MDR-TB.

Main Results:

• Unemployment (AOR: 5.24) and known TB contact (AOR: 8.89) were significantly associated with MDR-TB.
• Despite being present in 79.2% of participants, cardiometabolic risk factors showed no significant association with MDR-TB.
• Key factors included high prevalence of alcohol (59.6%) and tobacco use (45.9%).

Conclusions:

• Known TB contact and unemployment are significant predictors of MDR-TB.
• Interventions targeting established TB-related risk factors, such as contact tracing and addressing socioeconomic determinants like unemployment, are crucial.
• The study highlights the need to prioritize these factors over cardiometabolic risks in MDR-TB prevention strategies.