Key Points
Question
What is the risk of developing cardiomyopathy among patients with the acute phase of Chagas infection or the indeterminate chronic form of Chagas disease?
Findings
In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 studies of patients with Chagas disease, the pooled estimated annual rate of cardiomyopathy was 4.6% among patients with acute Chagas infection and 1.9% among patients with indeterminate chronic Chagas disease.
Meaning
The findings indicate that asymptomatic individuals with indeterminate chronic Chagas disease without cardiac injury and individuals with acute Chagas infection may have a significant risk of developing chronic cardiomyopathy.