Abstract Background Although the clinical features of chronic Chagas’ cardiomyopathy (CCC) have been well established, clinical data about the patients are scarce. Objectives The current analysis reports the results of the I Brazilian Heart Failure Registry (BREATHE) assessing baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with acute heart failure due to CCC. Methods BREATHE enrolled a total of 3,013 adult patients hospitalized with acute heart failure. We analyzed comparatively 261 (8.7%) patients with chronic CCC and 2,752 (91.3%) patients with […]

Abstract Background In the Amazon region, there has been a significant increase in the number of acute Chagas disease (ACD) leading to electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities. The main pathophysiological mechanisms involved in Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCM) are microvascular dysfunction, Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) dysfunction, direct parasite aggression, and inflammatory activity. Chagas disease (CD) is a perfect example of inflammatory cardiomyopathy that might influence changes in metabolic parameters and ANS. Studies on the measurement of adipocytokines and insulin levels in humans with […]

Abstract Background: Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChCC) is one of the causes of the implantation of pacemakers (PM) in many patients and has been associated with an adverse prognosis. Objectives: To compare the prognosis of the chagasic and non-chagasic populations undergoing PM and cardiac resynchronizer implantation. Methods: Observational, retrospective study, which analyzed a cohort of patients who underwent implantation of these devices, in a tertiary center, from October 2007 to December 2017, comparing the chagasic group with non-chagasic patients. The non-parametric Kaplan-Meier […]

Abstract Background: Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) is caused by an inflammatory process induced by Trypanosoma cruzi, which leads to myocarditis with reactive and reparative fibrosis. CCC progresses with myocardial perfusion abnormalities and histopathological events that affect cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Objectives: We evaluated the effects of aerobic physical training (APT) on myocardial perfusion and on morphological and functional impairments related with inflammation and fibrosis in Syrian hamsters with CCC. As a secondary objective, we analyzed the cross-sectional areas of the skeletal […]

Chagas heart disease is a common cause of nonischemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America. It is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that causes acute myopericarditis and a more chronic fibrosing cardiomyopathy. In most studies, the most common overall cause of death is sudden cardiac arrest from arrhythmias (55–60%), followed by heart failure (25–30%) and embolic events (10–15%). implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks save lives from ventricular arrhythmias but are painful and associated with accelerated patterns of heart failure and death. Catheter […]

Abstract Background: In Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC), studies are needed to identify arrhythmogenic risk factors in patients in which moderate to severe ventricular dysfunction is not present. Objective: To verify the correlation between frequent ventricular arrhythmias (PVC), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), extension of fibrosis by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and urinary norepinephrine measurement (NOREPI) in CCC with preserved or mildly compromised LVEF. Methods: The presence of ventricular extrasystoles > 30/h was analyzed on Holter. At CMR, LVEF and quantification […]