Background: Reduction in stroke risk may depend on the general population's knowledge of stroke. In South America, chagasic myocardiopathy is independently associated with ischemic stroke.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate awareness of Chagas' disease (CD) as a stroke risk factor and to determine the frequency of stroke patients that are diagnosed as having CD after stroke.
Methods: Eighty CD stroke patients and 140 non-chagasic stroke patients (53.2% males; mean age 60 years), consecutively admitted to the hospital during 2005 were interviewed with a questionnaire. Demographic variables included age, sex, ethnicity, education, previous history of stroke, vascular risk factors, social background information and several questions regarding awareness of CD as a stroke risk factor. A logistic regression model was developed to identify social variables that could predict the risk of CD stroke.
Results: The diagnosis of CD was established after stroke in 42.5% of CD stroke patients. Most respondents (95%) were not aware of stroke risk in CD. Chagasic patients had the lowest rate of awareness about stroke risk (2.5 vs 7.1%), although they had the greatest knowledge about the kissing bug vector (83.7 vs 62.1%; p<0.001). The main social variables associated with CD stroke were: having family members with Chagas' disease (p<0.0001; odds ratio 10.1; 95% CI 3.6-16.1) and a past history of living in a mud-brick house during childhood (p<0.001; odds ratio 8.9; 95% CI: 4.1-24.6).
Conclusion: Awareness about CD as a risk factor of stroke is low. Educational campaigns about risk of stroke in CD patients are encouraged.