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Aortic distensibility measured by pulse-wave velocity is not modified in patients with Chagas' disease

Humberto Villacorta1, Luiz Aparecido Bortolotto, Edmundo Arteaga

  • 1Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. huvillacorta@globo.com

Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine
|June 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Chagas

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Trypanosoma cruzi infection is known to cause vasculitis.
  • Inflammation may reduce arterial distensibility in advanced Chagas' disease.
  • This study investigated arterial elasticity in Chagas' disease patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that Chagas' disease affects large artery distensibility.
  • To evaluate arterial stiffness using pulse-wave velocity measurements.

Main Methods:

  • Carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (PWV) measured in 53 Chagas' disease patients and 31 healthy controls.
  • Patients categorized into indeterminate, asymptomatic, and heart failure groups.
  • PWV and pulse pressure compared across groups.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in PWV or pulse pressure was observed between Chagas' disease patients and controls.
  • PWV correlated positively with age and systolic blood pressure in both groups.
  • Arterial stiffness did not differ across disease severity within the Chagas' disease cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity is not altered in Chagas' disease patients.
  • The elastic properties of large arteries appear unaffected in this disorder.
  • Vasculitis associated with T. cruzi may not impact large artery compliance.
Abstract

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