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The parasites in mosquitos that spread malaria belong to the Plasmodium genus. © Shuttertsock
Malaria infection is associated with a 30 per cent higher risk of heart failure, revealed a recent study.
The study was presented today at 'ESC Congress 2019.'
The researchers used Danish nationwide registries to identify patients with a history of malaria infection between January 1994 and January 2017. The mean age of patients in the study was 34 years old and 58 per cent were male.
A total of 3,989 malaria cases were identified, with 40 per cent having plasmodium falciparum, a parasite transmitted through mosquito bites that is responsible for the majority of severe malaria cases in humans.
The 11-year follow-up of patients revealed 69 cases of heart failure, which was very high as compared to the general population, and 68 cases of cardiovascular death, which was considered within a normal range.
"These patients had a 30 per cent increased likelihood of developing heart failure over the follow-up time," Dr Brainin said. "Thirty percent is a high number, but you also have to understand that it is a relatively small study, which is a limitation. As of right now the results of this study are more hypothesis-generating for future studies."
Dr Brainin noted that, while heart failure risk was increased for patients in the study, there was not a link to heart attack or cardiovascular death.
Because it is too early to convert the results into clinical practice, Dr Brainin advised that physicians should continue to focus on traditional and validated risk factors that may lead to heart failure.