Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase
Published on: November 5, 2021
[Clinical and therapeutics aspects of heart failure due to Chagas disease]
Julio Cesar Vieira Braga1, Francisco Reis, Roque Aras
1Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA. juliobraga@cardiol.br
Insights
Heart failure patients with chagasic cardiomyopathy, a leading cause of heart failure (HF), exhibit distinct clinical and treatment profiles compared to other HF etiologies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) poses a significant global health challenge.
- Chagasic cardiomyopathy, caused by *Trypanosoma cruzi*, is a major etiological factor for HF in endemic regions.
- Understanding HF etiologies is crucial for targeted management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize clinical and therapeutic aspects of HF patients with chagasic cardiomyopathy.
- To compare these characteristics with HF patients of other etiologies.
Main Methods:
- Prospective analysis of 356 HF outpatients from August 2003 to June 2004.
- Comparison of demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data between chagasic and non-chagasic HF patients.
Main Results:
- Chagasic cardiomyopathy was the most frequent cause of HF (48%).
- Chagasic patients were more likely to be non-white, have a family history of Chagas disease, and lower education levels.
- Chagasic patients showed lower heart rate, lower systolic blood pressure, higher amiodarone and pacemaker use, and lower beta-blocker use compared to other etiologies.
Conclusions:
- Chagasic cardiomyopathy is a predominant cause of HF in this population.
- HF patients with chagasic cardiomyopathy present unique clinical and therapeutic characteristics.
- These findings highlight the need for specific management strategies for chagasic cardiomyopathy-related HF.
Objective:
Describe the clinical and therapeutic characteristics of patients with heart failure (HF) secondary to chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy and evaluate if these characteristics are different from those found in other etiologies.
Methods:
A prospective analysis of the patients treated between August 2003 and June 2004 at a HF referral outpatient clinic was conducted.
Results:
Three hundred and fifty six patients diagnosed with HF were included in the study. Chagasic cardiomyopathy was the most common etiology (48% of the cases). Other etiologies included hypertensive cardiomyopathy in 19% of the patients, idiopathic dilated in 11% and ischemic in 9%. Patients with HF secondary to chagasic cardiomyopathy were more frequently from non-white ethnic groups (88 vs. 75%; p = 0.002), had a family history of Chagas disease (57 vs. 21%; p = 0.001), had the disease for a longer length of time (71 vs. 56 months; p = 0.034), had lower levels of education (4.4 +/- 4.1 vs. 5.7 +/- 4.2 years of study; p = 0.004), had a lower heart rate (69 +/- 12 vs. 73 +/- 13; p = 0.03) and a lower systolic blood pressure (121 +/- 25 vs. 129 +/- 28 mmHg; p = 0.006). There was also a higher incidence of the use of amiodarone (22 vs. 13%; p = 0.036) and artificial pacemakers (15 vs. 1%; p = 0.001). There was a lower usage of beta-blockers (39 vs. 59%; p = 0.001).
Conclusion:
In this sample of HF outpatients, in a state with a high prevalence of Chagas disease, chagasic cardiomyopathy was the most common etiology and they presented some unique clinical and therapeutic characteristics in comparison to other heart failure patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
01:29Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
01:17Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
01:22Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies