Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is an inflammatory disease that occurs in approximately 30% of patients infected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, and it has a profile of high morbidity and mortality. The worst prognosis and the progression of this cardiomyopathy are associated with an exacerbated immune response and the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which also occur in other cardiomyopathies. Some nutrients, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), promote the inhibition and/or stimulation of cytokine production.