RESUMO
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Chagas disease is a prevalent cause of heart failure in Latin America, and its prognosis is worse than other etiologies. The Heart Failure Survival Score has been used to assess prognosis in patients with heart failure; however, this score has not yet been studied in patients with Chagas cardiopathy. METHODS: The Heart Failure Survival Score was calculated in 55 patients with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction due to Chagas disease. Correlations were assessed between the Heart Failure Survival Score and variables obtained from, cardiopulmonary exercise tests, quality-of-life measures, and 6-minute walking tests. RESULTS: Patients were distributed among New York Heart Association classes II-IV; 89% were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, 62% were taking beta-blockers, 86% were taking diuretics, and 74% were taking aldosterone receptor blockers. The mean Heart Failure Survival Score was 8.75 (0.80). The score correlated well with cardiopulmonary test variables such as peak oxygen uptake (0.662; P<.01), oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (0.644; P<.01), ventilation carbon dioxide efficiency slope (-0.417; P<.01), oxygen pulse (0.375; P<.01), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (0.626; P<.01), 6-minute walking test (0.370; P<.01), left ventricle ejection fraction (0.650; P=.01), and left atrium diameter (-0.377; P<.01). There was also a borderline significant correlation between the Heart Failure Survival Score and quality of life (-0.283; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: In heart failure patients with Chagas disease, the Heart Failure Survival Score correlated well with the main prognostic functional test variables.
Assuntos
Cardiomiopatia Chagásica/mortalidade , Insuficiência Cardíaca/mortalidade , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/mortalidade , Antagonistas Adrenérgicos beta/uso terapêutico , Adulto , Idoso , Antagonistas de Receptores de Angiotensina/uso terapêutico , Inibidores da Enzima Conversora de Angiotensina/uso terapêutico , Cardiomiopatia Chagásica/complicações , Cardiomiopatia Chagásica/fisiopatologia , Ecocardiografia , Teste de Esforço/métodos , Feminino , Insuficiência Cardíaca/tratamento farmacológico , Insuficiência Cardíaca/etiologia , Insuficiência Cardíaca/fisiopatologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Qualidade de Vida , Análise de Sobrevida , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/tratamento farmacológico , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/etiologia , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/fisiopatologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Heart failure due to Chagas cardiomyopathy (HFCC) differs from failure with other etiologies because of the occurrence of intense inflammatory infiltrate and right ventricle compromise. This article investigates correlations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels with parameters of severity in HFCC. Twenty-eight patients and 8 normal controls underwent heart catheterization and clinical and laboratory analyses. BNP levels were higher in patients with HFCC (P<.0001) and correlated with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class; right atrial pressure; wedge pressure; cardiac output; levels of serum sodium, hemoglobin, urea, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha; and ejection fraction. Interferon-gamma and transforming growth factor-beta did not correlate with BNP level. The authors conclude that BNP levels are elevated in patients experiencing HFCC, irrespective of NYHA class, and that the occurrence of HFCC correlates with severity of disease.