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Garcia-Alvarez A, Sitges M, Pinazo MJ, Regueiro-Cueva A, Posada E, Poyatos S, Ortiz-Pérez JT, Heras M, Azqueta M, Gascon J, Sanz G

Chagas cardiomyopathy: the potential of diastolic dysfunction and brain natriuretic peptide in the early identification of cardiac damage.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010;4(9), PMID: 20877635

Chagas disease remains a major cause of mortality in several countries of Latin America and has become a potential public health problem in non-endemic countries as a result of migration flows. Cardiac involvement represents the main cause of mortality, but its diagnosis is still based on nonspecific criteria with poor sensitivity. Early identification of patients with cardiac involvement is desirable, since early treatment may improve prognosis. This study aimed to assess the role of diastolic dysfunction, abnormal myocardial strain and elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the early identification of cardiac involvement in Chagas disease.

PARASITOLOGY