Relationship between Urinary Norepinephrine, Fibrosis, and Arrhythmias in Chronic Chagas Heart Disease with Preserved or Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: In Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC), studies are needed to identify arrhythmogenic risk factors in patients in which moderate to severe ventricular dysfunction is not present.

Objective: To verify the correlation between frequent ventricular arrhythmias (PVC), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), extension of fibrosis by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and urinary norepinephrine measurement (NOREPI) in CCC with preserved or mildly compromised LVEF.

Methods: The presence of ventricular extrasystoles > 30/h was analyzed on Holter.

Relationship between fibrosis and ventricular arrhythmias in Chagas heart disease without ventricular dysfunction.

Background: Patients with Chagas disease and segmental wall motion abnormality (SWMA) have worse prognosis independent of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is currently the best method to detect SWMA and to assess fibrosis.

Objective: To quantify fibrosis by using late gadolinium enhancement CMR in patients with Chagas disease and preserved or minimally impaired ventricular function (> 45%), and to detect patterns of dependence between fibrosis, SWMA and LVEF in the presence of ventricular arrhythmia.