Key result
US Chagas cardiomyopathy accounts for a ~$5 billion economic burden and substantial disability.
Why the study?
Chagas disease presents a growing concern in the US largely from Chagas cardiomyopathy, which causes severe complications, premature mortality, and significant healthcare costs, but its overall burden had not been evaluated from a health system perspective.
Observational (n=427,145)
Chagas cardiomyopathy imposes a substantial health and economic burden in the US, estimated at $4.96 billion and 1.176 million DALYs, highlighting a disproportionate lack of research funding compared to other infectious diseases.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Substantial US burden from Chagas cardiomyopathy; leaves open need for targeted research and surveillance.
Background: Chagas disease (ChD) presents a growing concern in the United States (US), stemming largely from Chagas cardiomyopathy, a severe complication linked to heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death. This condition not only has health impacts in the form of morbidity and premature mortality but also carries significant economic burden related to its cost of care. This study aims to evaluate the current health and economic burden of Chagas cardiomyopathy in the US using a health system perspective. Methods: in the US using 2018-2022 data from the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (ACS-PUMS) and prevalence estimates from prior literature. Age-specific prevalence rates were applied to determine those with Chagas cardiomyopathy. To assess the disease's broader impact, we incorporated proportions of hospitalized patients with concurrent cardiac conditions from prior literature and estimated healthcare costs using 2019 Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project, National Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) data. We calculated Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), adjusted for multimorbidity, conducted a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and compared the burden of Chagas cardiomyopathy to other US diseases. The estimated economic burden was $4.96 billion (2019 USD) (95% CI: $4.91-$5.01), with 1.176 million DALYs (95% CI: 1.165-1.186). The disease burden was 1.9 times greater than HIV, 8.8 times greater than malaria, and 35.4 times greater than tuberculosis, yet ChD research funding in 2023 was disproportionately lower. Interpretation: Our study highlights the significant health and economic burden of Chagas cardiomyopathy in the US. Despite this substantial burden, ChD remains significantly underfunded. Increased investment is crucial to improving diagnosis, treatment, and public health interventions.
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Vucetich et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Chagas cardiomyopathy (n=427,145). None (Burden of disease study) was evaluated on Economic burden and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Chagas cardiomyopathy in the United States resulted in an estimated economic burden of $4.96 billion and 1.176 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years among 82,269 affected adults.
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