Estudo retrospectivo de 647 mulheres com idade340 anos, atendidas no Hospital-Escola da FMTM, Uberaba-MG. As três sorologias para a doença de Chagas foram negativas nas controles (n = 285) e positivas nas chagásicas (n = 362), que foram classificadas nas formas indeterminada (n = 125), megas (n = 58) e cardíaca (n = 179). Diabetes mellitus foi definido por duas glicemias em jejum3140mg/dl e hiperglicemia por glicemia em jejum > 110mg/dl. Os grupos foram comparados pelos testes do c2, análise de variância, "t" de Student, Kruskal-Wallis e Mann-Whitney, considerando-se significativo p < 0,05. chagásicas e controles estavam pareadas quanto à idade, o índice de massa corporal e a cor. Diabetes mellitus foi mais freqüente na forma cardíaca (15,1%), comparada com as controles (7,4%), megas (7,4%) e assintomáticas (5,6%), o mesmo ocorrendo com a hiperglicemia (37,4%, 26,7%, 25,9% e 27,2%, respectivamente), achados que estão de acordo com possível desnervação parassimpática causada pelo Trypanosoma cruzi e conseqüente predomínio da atividade simpática.

Medical records of340 years old female seen at University Hospital from June/93 to July/95 were submitted to a cross-sectional study. According to Chagas' disease tests, patients were divided into chagasic (n = 362) and controls (n = 285). Diabetes mellitus was defined on the basis of two fasting blood glucose levels3140mg/dl and hyperglycemia as fasting blood glucose > 110mg/dl. Chagasic patients were divided into groups with the cardiac form of the disease (n = 179), with megas (n = 58), and asymptomatic (n = 125). Groups were compared by the c2 test, analysis of variance, Student's "t" test, and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. A significant difference was assumed when p < 0.05. Chagasic and control groups were matched for age, white color and body mass index. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in patients with the cardiac form of Chagas' disease than in controls, or patients with the megas or the asymptomatic form (15.1%, 7.4%, 7.4%, and 5.6%, respectively); the same was observed for hyperglycemia (37.4%, 26.7%, 25.9%, 27.2%), in agreement with the hypothesis that the reduced parasympathetic activity caused by Trypanosoma cruzi leads to relative sympathetic hyperactivity.

O propósito do estudo foi comparar a freqüência de cefaléia entre mulheres Chagásicas e Não-chagásicas. O estudo retrospectivo compreendeu 647 mulheres com idade <FONT FACE="Symbol">³</font> 40 anos, Chagásicas (n = 362) e Controles (n = 285) atendidas em um Hospital Universitário brasileiro. As Chagásicas foram classificadas nas formas clínicas: Cardíacas (n = 179), Megas (n = 58) e Indeterminada (n = 125). Cefaléia foi definida de acordo com os critérios da Headache International Society. A idade (57,0 ± 11,3 versus 57,3 ± 10,4 anos) e a percentagem de mulheres de cor branca (75,8% versus 77,1%) foram semelhantes entre Chagásicas e Controles, respectivamente. Cefaléia foi mais freqüente entre Chagásicas (32,9%) que nas Controles (16,1%), principalmente na forma Cardíaca (odds ratio, 2,41; intervalo de confiança 1,38-4,23), fenômeno possivelmente relacionado com desnervação parassimpática e alterações vasculares cerebrais.

The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of headache between Chagasic and Non-chagasic women. The cross-sectional study comprised 647 female <FONT FACE="Symbol">³</font>40 years old, Chagasic (n = 362) and Controls (n = 285) at a Brazilian University Hospital. Chagasic were classified as Cardiac (n = 179), Megas (n = 58) or Indeterminate (n = 125) clinical forms. Headache was ascertained according to Headache International Society diagnostic criteria. The age (57.0 ± 11.3 versus 57.3 ± 10.4 years), and the percentage of white women (75.8% versus 77.1%) were similar between Chagasic and Controls, respectively. Headache was more prevalent among Chagasic (32.9%) than Controls (16.1%), mainly in Cardiac form (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-4.23), phenomenon possibly related to parasympathetic denervation and cerebral vessels changes.