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Cardiovascular function in elderly patients with chronic chagasic cardiopathy
Manoel Otávio Costa Rocha1, Paulo César Correia, Márcio Vinícius L Barros
1Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizante, MG, Brasil. rochamoc@medicina.ufmg.br
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira De Medicina Tropical
|October 25, 2003
Summary
Elderly Chagas disease patients with advanced heart damage experience more ventricular premature beats and reduced exercise capacity compared to younger patients. Aging may exacerbate Chagasic heart damage, particularly in men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Chagas disease can cause progressive heart damage (cardiomyopathy).
- The impact of aging on Chagasic cardiomyopathy is not fully understood.
- Comparing elderly and young patients with similar heart damage levels is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess heart damage in elderly Chagas disease patients.
- To compare elderly and young Chagasic patients with similar cardiac damage.
- To investigate the influence of aging on Chagasic heart disease progression.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of outpatient referral center data.
- Comparison of cardiac function and exercise capacity between age groups.
- Evaluation of ventricular premature beats (VPB) and exercise test results.
Main Results:
- Elderly patients with advanced heart damage showed more 24-hour VPBs and lower exercise capacity than younger counterparts.
- Elderly men exhibited more effort-induced VPBs and fewer severe Chagasic heart disease forms.
- Good functional behavior was observed in both age groups without advanced cardiopathy.
Conclusions:
- Aging may worsen Chagasic heart disease, especially in men.
- Combined effects of aging and Chagas disease contribute to greater functional impairment in the elderly.
- Chagas disease pathophysiology influences the clinical course of heart disease in older adults.