Cardiac Autonomic Control Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of
Chagas' Heart Disease
Table 1
Clinical, radiologic, and echocardiographic characteristics of non-Chagasic and chagasic patients with advanced systolic heart failure. There was no difference in the baseline heart rate, blood pressure, and functional class (NYHA). The degree of ventricular dysfunction and dilatation was also similar in both groups of patients (see [36], with permission from Elsevier).
Characteristic
Non-Chagasic patients (n = 7)
Chagasic patients (n = 6)
P value
Male
6 (86%)
5 (83%)
Female
1 (14%)
1 (17%)
Age
54 ± 9
47 ± 10
NS
Baseline heart rate (beast/min)
116 ± 16
115 ± 16
NS
Baseline systolic pressure (mmHg)
111 ± 14
115 ± 16
NS
Baseline diastolic pressure (mmHg)
75 ± 13
83 ± 12
NS
Functional class
III
5 (71%)
3 (50%)
IV
2 (29%)
3 (50%)
Cardiothoracic index
>60.0
>60.0
Two-dimensional echocardiogram
Left ventricular diastolic diameter (cm)
5.9 ± 0.39
6.49 ± 1
NS
Left ventricular ejection fraction
0.17 ± 0.04
0.21 ± 0.06
NS
Values are mean ± S.D., except for sex and functional class.
