Physical activity and subclinical atherosclerosis in chronic Chagas disease: a cross-sectional study

The clinical-epidemiological profile of Chagas disease (CD) has changed over the past decades, leading to decreased levels of physical activity (PA), which may be associated with changes in markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the association between PA levels and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP), and the amount of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with chronic CD.

This cross-sectional study included patients with chronic CD. The PA level was determined using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short). CIMT and CAP were assessed using Doppler ultrasound of the carotid arteries. The amount of EAT was assessed using transthoracic echocardiography. Linear and binomial logistic regression models were used.

The median age of the 349 participants was 62 years (54.0-69.0), 56.5% were women, and 79.5% were non-white, with 67.6% having <9 years of schooling. The most common clinical form of CD was the cardiac form without heart failure (HF) (53.9%). Median CIMT values were 0.65 mm (left) and 0.66 mm (right). CAP was present in 46.4% of participants, and the median EAT was 5.0 mm. No statistically significant association was observed between PA levels and CIMT, the presence of CAP, or the amount of EAT.

PA levels were not associated with the markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in individuals with chronic CD.