Factors related to the discontinuation and mortality rates of a cardiac rehabilitation programme in patients with Chagas disease: a 6-year experience in a Brazilian tertiary centre.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of participants as well as discontinuation and mortality rates in a cardiac rehabilitation programme (CRP) tailored to Chagas disease (CD).

METHODS

Participants underwent functional capacity, anthropometry and cardiac function evaluations before beginning a CRP. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were performed to investigate the associations between clinical and sociodemographic characteristics at baseline with discontinuation rates and deaths.

RESULTS

Forty-two patients were enrolled in the CRP (61.9% men, mean age of 58.1 ± 11.8 years). During a median follow-up period of 10.8 months, 74% discontinued and 14% died while enrolled in CRP. 34% of the patients who discontinued CRP died during follow-up. White race (HR = 0.09; 95% CI 0.01-1.00), right ventricular systolic dysfunction (HR = 10.54; 95% CI 1.24-89.50) and oxygen pulse (HR = 0.69; 95% CI 0.48-0.99) were independently associated with death while enrolled in CRP. Married status (HR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.21-0.95) was independently associated with discontinuation rates from CRP. VO peak (HR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.74-0.98) and CRP discontinuation due to CD-related reasons (HR = 8.33; 95% CI 1.91-36.27) were the variables independently associated with death after discontinuation of CRP.

CONCLUSION

In this population, sociodemographic aspects and severity of CD were important determinants of CRP discontinuation and mortality.