BackgroundChagas' disease may cause left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and its early detection in asymptomatic patients would allow to stratify the risk and to optimize medical treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate if transmitral Doppler flow can detect early abnormalities of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients during the indeterminate phase of Chagas' disease, in which the electrocardiogram (ECG), chest x-ray and 2-D echocardiogram (2D-echo) are normal.Methodsa group of 54 patients with Chagas' disease was studied and compared to a control group of 27 subjects of similar age. All were assessed with an ECG, chest X-ray, 2-D echo, and transmitral Doppler flow.Resultsboth groups had similar values in the 2D-echo. In patients with Chagas' disease, the transmitral Doppler showed a higher peak A velocity (control group: 0.44 m/sec, Chagas group: 0.55 m/sec, p = 0.001), a lower E/A ratio (control group: 1.45, Chagas group: 1.22, p < 0.05), and a lengthening of the deceleration time of early diastolic filling (control: 138.7 ± 26.8 msec, Chagas group: 167.9 ± 34.6 msec, p = 001), thus revealing an early disorder of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients with Chagas' disease.Conclusionin patients with Chagas' disease who are in the indeterminate phase, transmitral Doppler flow allowed to identify early abnormalities of the left ventricular diastolic function, which provide useful clinical information for prognostic stratification and treatment.

Introduction: Chagas disease is one of the most common diseases in Latin America and heart involvement is the main cause of death. This study aimed to determine differences in tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters in the assessment left and right ventricular function in patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease compared to those in healthy controls. Methods: We compared 194 patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease to 72 age-matched healthy individuals. We considered p-values <0.05 to be statistically significant. Results: TDI analysis of the right ventricular (RV) showed lengthened isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) and higher RV index of myocardial performance (RIMP) and left ventricle (LV) index of myocardial performance (LIMP) in the Chagas group than in the control group, indicating RV and LV systolic and diastolic myocardial damage. TDI analysis of the myocardial velocities of the interventricular septum and the lateral wall of the LV also showed a systolic and diastolic myocardial damage. Conclusions: The study results demonstrated early LV systolic and diastolic myocardial damage in the RV and LV in patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease by TDI. These early findings of RV and LV dysfunction may help identify patients who will progress to heart failure during the disease course. TDI should be included in initial patient evaluations because it allows adequate follow-up and treatment.

Introduction Chagas disease (ChD) is one of the main parasitic diseases in Latin‐America. Its heart involvement is the most important cause of death. The aim of this study is to evaluate if Doppler Tissue Imaging (DTI) may have a predictive value for later events in subjects with chronic ChD. Methods we analyses DTI variables of 543 patients with chronic ChD for the evaluation of predicting factors of events. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were considered as stroke, heart failure resistant to treatment, sustained ventricular tachycardia, implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator, sudden death, and cardiovascular death. The following findings were also included in total evens: heart failure, bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmia, new conduction system abnormalities, and new echocardiographic abnormalities. Multivariate analysis with logistic regression was used in order to assess the Doppler and DTI parameters predicting events. Variables with a P‐value ≤ .5 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. Results In patients with chronic ChD, the analysis of DTI parameters showed that S′ wave and E′ wave of the lateral wall of the left ventricle were significant predictors of MACE (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71–0.96; P‐value: .015 and OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66–0.98; P‐value: .031, respectively). Conclusions This study found that patients with chronic ChD who had events showed significantly lower parameters in the DTI. What is more, this study showed that even lower DTI parameters are significant predictors of events.

No abstract

Introduction: Chagas disease is one of the main diseases in Latin America and heart involvement is its main characteristics, and the main cause of death. The aim of this study is to evaluate if there is any parameter of Doppler Tissue Imaging (DTI) which can be used as a predictor for later events in chronic Chagas disease. Methods: we analyses DTI variables of 543 patients with chronic Chagas disease for the evaluation of predicting factors of events. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were considered as stroke, heart failure resistant to treatment, sustained ventricular tachycardia, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, sudden death, and cardiovascular death. The following findings were also included in total evens: heart failure, bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmia, new conduction system abnormalities and new echocardiographic abnormalities. Multivariate analysis with logistic regression was used in order to assess the Doppler and DTI parameters predicting events. Variables with a p-value [?] 0.10 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: In patients with chronic Chagas disease, the analysis of DTI parameters showed that S' wave and E' wave of the lateral wall of the left ventricle were significant predictors of MACE (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71-0.96; p value: 0.015 and OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66-0.98; p value: 0.031, respectively). Conclusions: This study found that patients with chronic Chagas disease who had events showed significantly lower parameters in the DTI. What is more, this study showed that even lower DTI parameters are significant predictors of events.