Cardiovascular Mortality among Tuberculosis Patients

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are leading causes of mortality in developing nations.
• The immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis can promote atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications.
• Understanding TB-CVD interactions is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine mortality patterns among tuberculosis patients due to cardiovascular disease.
• To describe the proportion and types of CVD-related deaths in a Malaysian tertiary care setting.
• To examine demographic and clinical factors associated with cardiovascular deaths in TB patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study at Penang General Hospital, Malaysia (2015-2022).
• Analysis of medical records for adult tuberculosis patients who died, excluding those with pre-existing CVD.
• Causes of death determined from records and certificates; CVD deaths classified using clinical, lab, and imaging data.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular disease accounted for 12.5% (82/657) of deaths among tuberculosis patients.
• Acute coronary syndrome was the most frequent CVD cause of death (8.37%), followed by acute pulmonary embolism (1.37%).
• Exploratory analyses indicated associations between CVD deaths and anemia and drug resistance.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular diseases are a significant cause of mortality in tuberculosis patients, aligning with global data.
• Acute coronary syndrome is a primary CVD subtype leading to death in this population.
• Findings underscore the need for cardiovascular risk awareness in tuberculosis care and further research into causality.