Chagas cardiomyopathy in Boston, Massachusetts: Identifying disease and improving management after community and hospital-based screening.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding cardiac manifestations of Chagas disease in migrants living in non-endemic regions. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of 109 patients with Chagas disease seen at Boston Medical Center (BMC) between January 2016 and January 2023 was performed. Patients were identified by screening and testing migrants from endemic regions at a community health center and BMC. Demographic, laboratory, and cardiac evaluation data were collected. RESULTS: Mean age of the 109 patients was 43 years (range 19-76); 61% were female. 79% (86/109) were diagnosed with Chagas disease via screening and 21% (23/109) were tested given symptoms or electrocardiogram abnormalities. Common symptoms included palpitations (25%, 27/109) and chest pain (17%, 18/109); 52% (57/109) were asymptomatic. Right bundle branch block (19%, 19/102), T-wave changes (18%, 18/102), and left anterior fascicular block (11%, 11/102) were the most common electrocardiogram abnormalities; 51% (52/102) had normal electrocardiograms. Cardiomyopathy stage was ascertained in 94 of 109 patients: 51% (48/94) were indeterminate stage A and 49% (46/94) had cardiac structural disease (stages B1-D). Clinical findings that required clinical intervention or change in management were found in 23% (25/109), and included cardiomyopathy, apical hypokinesis/aneurysm, stroke, atrial or ventricular arrhythmias, and apical thrombus. CONCLUSIONS: These data show high rates of cardiac complications in a cohort of migrants living with Chagas disease in a non-endemic setting. We demonstrate that Chagas disease diagnosis prompts cardiac evaluation which often identifies actionable cardiac disease and provides opportunities for prevention and treatment.

Assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy using Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire: A validation study.

OBJECTIVE: Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChC) is the most severe clinical form of Chagas disease and, in association with psychosocial factors, can compromise the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of affected patients. To date, there is no specific instrument to assess the HRQoL of these patients, and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLwHFQ), specific for heart failure, is being used both in research and current clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to verify the validity of the MLwHFQ in the assessment of HRQoL of patients with ChC. METHODS: Fifty patients with ChC (50.6 ± 10.1 years, NYHA I-III) were evaluated. The MLwHFQ, Short-Form of Health Survey (SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Human Activity Profile (HAP) were applied. All patients underwent echocardiography and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET). RESULTS: The MLwHFQ score correlated with almost all SF-36 domains (with r-value ranging from -0.38 to -0.69), except pain (p = 0.118). The MLwHFQ score also correlated with the BDI score (r = 0.748; p < 0.001), HAP score (r = -0.558; p = 0.001), peak oxygen uptake (r = -0.352; p = 0.01), and left ventricular ejection fraction (r = -0.329; p = 0.021). There was no significant difference in the score found on the MLwHFQ among NYHA classes (p = 0.101), as well as between patients with systolic dysfunction (n = 30) and preserved cardiac function (n = 20) (p = 0.058). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the score found on the physical (p = 0.423) and mental (p = 0.858) components of SF-36 between patients with systolic dysfunction and preserved cardiac function (p = 0.271 and p = 0.609, respectively). There was also no difference in the mental component of SF-36 among NYHA classes (p = 0.673). However, the HRQoL using the physical component of SF-36 was worse in advanced NYHA classes (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: MLwHF correlated with most SF-36 HRQoL domains, depressive symptoms, physical activity, and systolic function and seems to be valid in assessing the HRQoL of ChC patients.

Risk stratifier for sudden cardiac death beyond the left ventricular ejection fraction in Chagas cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk markers are needed in Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC). Action potential duration restitution (APDR) dynamics is capable of extracting information on cardiac regional heterogeneity. This study intends to develop a patient-specific variables-based algorithm to predict SCD in the low-intermediate subgroups of the Rassi risk score. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of patients who underwent 24-h Holter for research purposes between January 1992 and February 2017. From 4-h ECG segment, RR series were generated and APDR dynamics metrics were calculated. Classification tree and sensitivity analysis were applied. As outcomes, SCD, SCD-free and non-cardiovascular death and 34 variables were included. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-one (129 in the group SCD-free, 80 in the SCD group and 12 non-cardiovascular death group) were analyzed. In the groups with and without SCD (209 patients), the median age was 66 years, 52% were female, the cardiac involvement was mild to moderate in 72% with a Rassi point median of 8 (IQ: 3 to 11). The SCD group had more ventricular remodeling and more ventricular electrical instability. The occurrence of a %beats QTend/TendQ ratio > 1 (AUC, 0.96 (95% CI 0.89-0.98) present in more than 56.7% of the 4-h ECG segments was sufficient to identify patients of the SCD subgroup. Variables representing different stages of CC were also relevant in the model. CONCLUSION: It is possible to use APDR dynamics as an adjuvant in the SCD risk assessment in a subgroup of patients with a high risk of SCD and a very low risk of non-CV death with high power of discrimination.

Autonomic denervation, myocardial hypoperfusion and fibrosis may predict ventricular arrhythmia in the early stages of Chagas cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) can be the first clinical event of Chagas heart disease (CHD). However, current guidelines contain no clear recommendation for early cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. Using imaging modalities, we evaluated associations among autonomic denervation, myocardial hypoperfusion, fibrosis and ventricular arrhythmia in CHD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with CHD and preserved left ventricular function underwent 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy, 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) myocardial perfusion and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They were divided into arrhythmic (≥ 6 ventricular premature complexes/h and/or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia on 24-hour Holter, n = 15) and non-arrhythmic (< 6 ventricular premature complexes/h and no ventricular tachycardia; n = 14) groups. The arrhythmic group had higher denervation scores from MIBG imaging (23.2 ± 18.7 vs 5.6 ± 4.9; P < .01), hypoperfusion scores from MIBI SPECT (4.7 ± 6.8 vs 0.29 ± 0.6: P = .02), innervation/perfusion mismatch scores (18.5 ± 17.5 vs 5.4 ± 4.8; P = .01) and fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement on MRI (14.3% ± 13.5% vs 4.0% ± 2.9%; P = .04) than the non-arrhythmic group. CONCLUSION: These imaging parameters were associated with ventricular arrhythmia in early CHD and may enable risk stratification and the implementation of primary preventive strategies for SCD.

Macrophages Mediate Healing Properties of Fenofibrate in Experimental Chagasic Cardiomyopathy.

Chronic cardiomyopathy is one of the most relevant outcomes of Chagas disease associated with parasite persistence and exacerbated inflammatory response. Fenofibrate, a third generation fibric acid derivative and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α ligand, is involved in the regulation of inflammatory response. However, the participation of macrophages in this scenario has not been elucidated. Here we show, for the first time, that macrophages play a fundamental role in the fenofibrate-mediated modulation of heart pro-inflammatory response and fibrosis caused by the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Furthermore, macrophages are required for fenofibrate to improve the loss of ventricular function and this restoration correlates with an anti-inflammatory microenvironment. Understanding the contributions of macrophages to the healing properties of fenofibrate reinforces its potential use as a therapeutic drug, with the aim of helping to solve a public health problem, such as chronic Chagas disease.

Association of left ventricular abnormalities with incident cerebrovascular events and sources of thromboembolism in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although Chagas cardiomyopathy is related to thromboembolic stroke, data on risk factors for cerebrovascular events in Chagas disease is limited. Thus, we assessed the relationship between left ventricular (LV) impairment and cerebrovascular events and sources of thromboembolism in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort included patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). CMR was performed with a 1.5 T scanner to provide LV volumes, mass, ejection fraction (LVEF), and myocardial fibrosis. The primary outcome was a composite of incident ischemic cerebrovascular events (stroke or transient ischemic attack-TIA) and potential thromboembolic sources (atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, or intracavitary thrombus) during the follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were included. Median age was 56 years (IQR: 45-67), and 58 (51%) were women. The median LVEF was 53% (IQR: 41-62). LV aneurysms and LV fibrosis were present in 38 (34%) and 76 (67%) individuals, respectively. The median follow-up time was 6.9 years, with 29 events: 11 cerebrovascular events, 16 had AF or atrial flutter, and two had LV apical thrombosis. In the multivariable model, only lower LVEF remained significantly associated with the outcomes (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). Patients with reduced LVEF lower than 40% had a much higher risk of cerebrovascular events and thromboembolic sources (HR: 3.16 95% CI: 1.38-7.25) than those with normal LVEF. The combined incidence rate of the combined events in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with reduced LVEF was 13.9 new cases per 100 persons-year. CONCLUSIONS: LV systolic dysfunction is an independent predictor of adverse cerebrovascular events and potential sources of thromboembolism in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Stroke in Chagas disease: from pathophysiology to clinical practice.

Despite substantial progress toward its control, Chagas disease continues to be a major public health problem in Latin America and has become a global health concern. The disease affects approximately 6 million people, of whom 20-40% will develop cardiomyopathy over the years after the initial Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Chagas cardiomyopathy is the most serious and frequent manifestation of Chagas disease. Clinical manifestations vary widely according to the severity of myocardial dysfunction, ranging from asymptomatic to severe forms, including dilated cardiomyopathy with heart failure, arrhythmias, thromboembolism events, and sudden death. Chagas disease is a risk factor for stroke regardless of the severity of cardiomyopathy, which is a leading cause of chronic disability. Classically, stroke etiology in patients with Chagas disease is thought to be cardioembolic and related to apical aneurysm, mural thrombus, and atrial arrhythmias. Although most strokes are thromboembolic, other etiologies have been observed. Small vessel disease, atherosclerosis, and cryptogenic diseases have been reported in patients with Chagas disease and stroke. The potential mechanisms involved in non-embolic strokes include the presence of associated risk factors, pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic disease states, and endothelial dysfunction. However, the contribution of each mechanism to stroke in Chagas disease remains unclear. The review aims to provide an overview of stroke in Chagas disease, highlighting the main pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical presentation, approaches for prevention, and unanswered questions regarding treatment strategies.

Heart rate variability as a biomarker in patients with Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy with or without concomitant digestive involvement and its relationship with the Rassi score.

BACKGROUND: Dysautonomia plays an ancillary role in the pathogenesis of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC), but is the key factor causing digestive organic involvement. We investigated the ability of heart rate variability (HRV) for death risk stratification in CCC and compared alterations of HRV in patients with isolated CCC and in those with the mixed form (CCC + digestive involvement). Thirty-one patients with CCC were classified into three risk groups (low, intermediate and high) according to their Rassi score. A single-lead ECG was recorded for a period of 10-20 min, RR series were generated and 31 HRV indices were calculated. The HRV was compared among the three risk groups and regarding the associated digestive involvement. Four machine learning models were created to predict the risk class of patients. RESULTS: Phase entropy is decreased and the percentage of inflection points is increased in patients from the high-, compared to the low-risk group. Fourteen patients had the mixed form, showing decreased triangular interpolation of the RR histogram and absolute power at the low-frequency band. The best predictive risk model was obtained by the support vector machine algorithm (overall F1-score of 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: The mixed form of Chagas' disease showed a decrease in the slow HRV components. The worst prognosis in CCC is associated with increased heart rate fragmentation. The combination of HRV indices enhanced the accuracy of risk stratification. In patients with the mixed form of Chagas disease, a higher degree of sympathetic autonomic denervation may be associated with parasympathetic impairment.

Electrocardiogram abnormalities in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy correlate with scar mass and left ventricular dysfunction as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are frequently identified in Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) patients and advanced abnormalities are related to a worse prognosis. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) can precisely assess ventricular systolic dysfunction and quantify myocardial fibrosis (MF), both identified as prognostic factors. We sought to investigate if ECG abnormalities in CCC patients were associated with more severe myocardial involvement as evaluated by CMR. METHODS: CCC patients with 12­lead ECG and CMR closely obtained were included. ECG analysis evaluated rhythm, presence, and type of intraventricular conduction disturbances (IVCD) and, ventricular premature beats (VPB). CMR short-axis cine and late gadolinium enhancement images were evaluated to obtain left and right ventricular ejection fractions and MF mass, respectively. Statistical significance was set in 5%. RESULTS: 194 CCC patients (98 women, 56 ± 14 years) were evaluated, and no IVCD was detected in 71. The most common IVCD was the association of right bundle branch block and left anterior fascicular block (RBBB+LAFB) in 58 patients, followed by isolated RBBB in 34, isolated LAFB in 17, and left bundle branch block (LBBB) in 14 patients. Of patients with no IVCD, 63% had MF and the burden of fibrosis (no IVCD - 7.4 ± 8.6%; RBBB - 6.6 ± 6.5%; p = 1.00), as well as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (no IVCD - 52 ± 14%; RBBB - 55 ± 10%; p = 1.00) were similar to patients with isolated RBBB. Left conduction system impairment was associated with lower LVEF (LAFB - 39 ± 15%; RBBB+LAFB- 41 ± 15%; and LBBB - 35 ± 15%; p < 0.001) and more MF (RBBB+LAFB - 12.2 ± 10.4%; LBBB - 10.6 ± 7.5%; and LAFB - 12.0 ± 7.0%; p < 0.001). The univariable model showed that the presence of MF was related to RBBB+LAFB (OR 5.0; p = 0.001) and VPB (OR 6.3; p = 0.014). After adjustment for age, gender, and different risk factors in a multivariable model, the same findings were still significantly related to CMR myocardial fibrosis (RBBB+LAFB OR 5.0; p = 0.002 / VPB OR 6.9; p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: ECG without IVCD does not exclude serious cardiac abnormalities in CCC, and isolated RBBB seems to have a benign course. The presence of VPB and left branch conduction impairment, especially LAFB associated with RBBB, indicate a more severe cardiac involvement.

Prediction of sudden cardiac death for chagasic patients / Predição de morte súbita cardíaca em pacientes chagásicos / Predicción de muerte súbita cardíaca en pacientes chagásicos federados

Objective: Identify the risk of patients with Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) to prevent them from having Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Methods: We developed an SCD prediction system using a heterogeneous dataset of chagasic patients evaluated in 9 state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms to select the most critical clinical variables and predict SCD in chagasic patients even when the interval between the most recent exams and the SCD event is months or years. Results: 310 patients were analyzed, being 81 (14,7%) suffering from SCD. In the study, Balanced Random Forest showed the best performance, with AUC:80.03 and F1:75.12. Due to their high weights in the machine learning classifiers, we suggest Holter - Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia, Total Ventricular Extrasystoles, Left Ventricular Systolic Diameter, Syncope, and Left Ventricular Diastolic Diameter as essential features to identify SCD. Conclusion: The high-risk pattern of SCD in patients with CCC can be identified and prevented based on clinical and laboratory variables.

Objetivo: Identificar o risco de pacientes com Cardiomiopatia Chagásica Crônica (CCC) para prevenir a Morte Súbita Cardíaca (MSC). Métodos: Desenvolvemos um sistema de MSC usando um conjunto de dados heterogêneo de pacientes chagásicos avaliados em 9 algoritmos de aprendizado de máquina de última geração para selecionar as variáveis clínicas mais críticas e prever MSC em pacientes chagásicos mesmo quando o intervalo mais recente entre os mais recentes exames e o evento MSC é meses ou anos. Resultados: Foram analisados 310 pacientes, sendo 81 (14,7%) portadores de CCC. No estudo, o algoritmo Balanced Random Forest apresentou o melhor desempenho, com AUC:80,03 e F1:75,12. Devido ao seu alto peso nos classificadores de aprendizado de máquina, sugerimos Holter - Taquicardia Ventricular Não Sustentada, Extrassístoles Ventriculares Totais, Diâmetro Sistólico do Ventrículo Esquerdo, Síncope e Diâmetro Diastólico do Ventrículo Esquerdo como características essenciais para identificar a CCC. Conclusão: O padrão de alto risco de MSC em pacientes com CCC pode ser identificado e prevenido com base em variáveis clínicas e laboratoriais.

Objetivo: Identificar el riesgo de los pacientes con Miocardiopatía Chagásica Crónica (MCC) para evitar que presenten Muerte Cardíaca Súbita (MCS). Métodos: Desarrollamos un sistema MCS utilizando un conjunto de datos heterogéneo de pacientes chagásicos evaluados en 9 algoritmos de aprendizaje automático de última generación para seleccionar las variables clínicas más críticas y predecir MCS en pacientes chagásicos incluso cuando el intervalo más reciente entre los más recientes exámenes y el evento MCS es meses o años. Resultados: Se analizaron 310 pacientes, siendo 81 (14,7%) con MSC. En el estudio, Balanced Random Forest mostró el mejor desempeño, con AUC:80.03 y F1:75.12. Debido a su alto peso en los clasificadores de aprendizaje automático, sugerimos Holter - Taquicardia ventricular no sostenida, Extrasístoles ventriculares totales, Diámetro sistólico del ventrículo izquierdo, Síncope y Diámetro diastólico del ventrículo izquierdo como características esenciales para identificar la MSC. Conclusión: El patrón de alto riesgo de MSC en pacientes con MCC se puede identificar y prevenir con base en variables clínicas y de laboratorio.

Undernutrition and Cachexia in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure and Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Occurrence and Association with Hospital Outcomes. / Desnutrição e Caquexia na Insuficiência Cardíaca Descompensada e Cardiomiopatia Chagásica: Ocorrência e Associação com Desfechos Hospitalares.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional disorders are common among patients with heart failure (HF) and associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, some populations of patients, like the ones with Chagas disease, are frequently excluded from most analyses. OBJECTIVE: We sought to study the occurrence of undernutrition and cachexia in patients with Chagas disease during episodes of decompensated HF (DHF) as compared to other etiologies, and to investigate the influence of these findings on hospital outcomes. METHODS: We performed a consecutive case series study with patients hospitalized with DHF. Patients underwent the Subjective Global Assessment of nutritional status (SGA), besides anthropometric and laboratorial measures, and were evaluated for the occurrence of cachexia, low muscle mass and strength. We studied the occurrence of death or urgent heart transplantation during hospitalization. RESULTS: Altogether, 131 patients were analyzed and 42 (32.1%) had Chagas disease. Patients with Chagas disease had lower Body Mass Index (BMI) (22.4 kg/m2[19.9-25.3] vs. 23.6 kg/m2 [20.8-27.3], p=0.03), higher frequency of undernutrition (76.2% vs 55.1%, p=0.015) and higher occurrence of death or transplant (83.3% vs. 41.6%, p<0.001). We found that, in patients with Chagas etiology, the occurrence of death or cardiac transplantation were associated with undernutrition (3 [42.9%] patients with hospital discharge vs 29 [82.9%] patients with death or heart transplant, p=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results indicate that patients with Chagas disease hospitalized with DHF often present with nutritional disorders, especially undernutrition; importantly, this finding was associated with the occurrence of death and heart transplant during hospitalization.

FUNDAMENTO: Problemas nutricionais são comuns em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca (IC) e estão associados a um prognóstico ruim. É relevante mencionar que algumas populações de pacientes, como os com Doença de Chagas, são normalmente excluídas da maioria das análises. OBJETIVO: Buscamos analisar a ocorrência de desnutrição e caquexia em pacientes com Doença de Chagas durante episódios de IC descompensada (ICD) em comparação a outras etiologias, e investigar a influência desses achados em desfechos hospitalares. MÉTODO: Realizamos um estudo de série de casos consecutivos com pacientes hospitalizados com ICD. Os pacientes foram submetidos à Avaliação Nutricional Subjetiva Global (ASG), além de medidas antropométricas e laboratoriais, e foram avaliados para a ocorrência de caquexia, baixa massa muscular e força. Estudamos a ocorrência de morte e transplante cardíaco de urgência durante a internação. RESULTADOS: Ao todo, 131 pacientes foram analisados e 42 (32,1%) tinham Doença de Chagas. Pacientes com Doença de Chagas apresentavam índice de massa corporal (IMC) menor (22,4 kg/m2 [19,9-25,3] vs. 23,6 kg/m2 [20,8-27,3], p=0,03), maior frequência de desnutrição (76,2% vs 55,1%, p=0,015) e mais ocorrências de morte ou transplante (83,3% vs. 41,6%, p<0,001). Observamos que, dentre os pacientes com etiologia da Doença de Chagas, a ocorrência de morte ou transplante cardíaco esteve associada com desnutrição (3 [42,9%] pacientes com alta hospitalar vs. 29 [82,9%] pacientes que morreram ou receberam transplante cardíaco, P=0,043). CONCLUSÕES: Ao todo, nossos resultados indicam que pacientes com Doença de Chagas internados com ICD costumam apresentar problemas nutricionais, principalmente desnutrição. É importante mencionar que este achado esteve associado à ocorrência de morte e transplante cardíaco durante a internação.

Regional myocardial sympathetic denervation precedes the development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Regional myocardial sympathetic denervation is a conspicuous and early disorder in patients with chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy (CCC), potentially associated to the progression of myocardial dysfunction OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in a longitudinal study the association between the presence and the progression of regional myocardial sympathetic denervation with the deterioration of global and segmental left ventricular dysfunction in CCC. METHODS: 18 patients with CCC were submitted at initial evaluation and after 5.5 years to rest myocardial scintigraphy with 123Iodo-metaiodobenzylguanidine and 99mTc-sestamibi and to two-dimensional echocardiography to assess myocardial sympathetic denervation, extent of fibrosis, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and wall motion abnormalities. RESULTS: In the follow-up evaluation, compared to the initial one, we observed a significant decrease in LVEF (56 ± 11 to 49% ± 12; P = .01) and increased summed defects scores in the myocardial innervation scintigraphy (15 ± 10 to 20 ± 9; P < .01). The presence of regional myocardial sympathetic denervation in ventricular regions of viable non-fibrotic myocardium presented an odds ratio of 4.25 for the development of new wall motion abnormalities (P = .001). CONCLUSION: Regional and global myocardial sympathetic denervation is a progressive derangement in CCC. In addition, the regional denervation is topographically associated with areas of future development of regional systolic dysfunction in patients with CCC.

Desnutrição e Caquexia na Insuficiência Cardíaca Descompensada e Cardiomiopatia Chagásica: Ocorrência e Associação com Desfechos Hospitalares / Undernutrition and Cachexia in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure and Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Occurrence and Association with Hospital Outcomes

Resumo Fundamento Problemas nutricionais são comuns em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca (IC) e estão associados a um prognóstico ruim. É relevante mencionar que algumas populações de pacientes, como os com Doença de Chagas, são normalmente excluídas da maioria das análises. Objetivo Buscamos analisar a ocorrência de desnutrição e caquexia em pacientes com Doença de Chagas durante episódios de IC descompensada (ICD) em comparação a outras etiologias, e investigar a influência desses achados em desfechos hospitalares. Método Realizamos um estudo de série de casos consecutivos com pacientes hospitalizados com ICD. Os pacientes foram submetidos à Avaliação Nutricional Subjetiva Global (ASG), além de medidas antropométricas e laboratoriais, e foram avaliados para a ocorrência de caquexia, baixa massa muscular e força. Estudamos a ocorrência de morte e transplante cardíaco de urgência durante a internação. Resultados Ao todo, 131 pacientes foram analisados e 42 (32,1%) tinham Doença de Chagas. Pacientes com Doença de Chagas apresentavam índice de massa corporal (IMC) menor (22,4 kg/m2 [19,9-25,3] vs. 23,6 kg/m2 [20,8-27,3], p=0,03), maior frequência de desnutrição (76,2% vs 55,1%, p=0,015) e mais ocorrências de morte ou transplante (83,3% vs. 41,6%, p<0,001). Observamos que, dentre os pacientes com etiologia da Doença de Chagas, a ocorrência de morte ou transplante cardíaco esteve associada com desnutrição (3 [42,9%] pacientes com alta hospitalar vs. 29 [82,9%] pacientes que morreram ou receberam transplante cardíaco, P=0,043). Conclusões Ao todo, nossos resultados indicam que pacientes com Doença de Chagas internados com ICD costumam apresentar problemas nutricionais, principalmente desnutrição. É importante mencionar que este achado esteve associado à ocorrência de morte e transplante cardíaco durante a internação.

Abstract Background Nutritional disorders are common among patients with heart failure (HF) and associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, some populations of patients, like the ones with Chagas disease, are frequently excluded from most analyses. Objective We sought to study the occurrence of undernutrition and cachexia in patients with Chagas disease during episodes of decompensated HF (DHF) as compared to other etiologies, and to investigate the influence of these findings on hospital outcomes. Methods We performed a consecutive case series study with patients hospitalized with DHF. Patients underwent the Subjective Global Assessment of nutritional status (SGA), besides anthropometric and laboratorial measures, and were evaluated for the occurrence of cachexia, low muscle mass and strength. We studied the occurrence of death or urgent heart transplantation during hospitalization. Results Altogether, 131 patients were analyzed and 42 (32.1%) had Chagas disease. Patients with Chagas disease had lower Body Mass Index (BMI) (22.4 kg/m2[19.9-25.3] vs. 23.6 kg/m2 [20.8-27.3], p=0.03), higher frequency of undernutrition (76.2% vs 55.1%, p=0.015) and higher occurrence of death or transplant (83.3% vs. 41.6%, p<0.001). We found that, in patients with Chagas etiology, the occurrence of death or cardiac transplantation were associated with undernutrition (3 [42.9%] patients with hospital discharge vs 29 [82.9%] patients with death or heart transplant, p=0.043). Conclusions Taken together, our results indicate that patients with Chagas disease hospitalized with DHF often present with nutritional disorders, especially undernutrition; importantly, this finding was associated with the occurrence of death and heart transplant during hospitalization.

Mortality risk in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: This study aimed to estimate the annual mortality risk and its determinants in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS. Longitudinal studies published between 1 January 1946 and 24 October 2018 were included. A random-effects meta-analysis using the death rate over the mean follow-up period in years was used to obtain pooled estimated annual mortality rates. Main outcomes were defined as all-cause mortality, including cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular, heart failure, stroke, and sudden cardiac deaths. A total of 5005 studies were screened for eligibility. A total of 52 longitudinal studies for chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy including 9569 patients and 2250 deaths were selected. The meta-analysis revealed an annual all-cause mortality rate of 7.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.3-10.1; I2  = 97.74%; T2  = 0.70] among patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. The pooled estimated annual cardiovascular death rate was 6.3% (95% CI: 4.9-8.0; I2  = 96.32%; T2  = 0.52). The annual mortality rates for heart failure, sudden death, and stroke were 3.5%, 2.6%, and 0.4%, respectively. Meta-regression showed that low left ventricular ejection fraction (coefficient = -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, -0.02; P = 0.001) was associated with an increased mortality risk. Subgroup analysis based on American Heart Association (AHA) classification revealed pooled estimate rates of 4.8%, 8.7%, 13.9%, and 22.4% (P < 0.001) for B1/B2, B2/C, C, and C/D stages of cardiomyopathy, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The annual mortality risk in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is substantial and primarily attributable to cardiovascular causes. This risk significantly increases in patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction and those classified as AHA stages C and C/D.