Current and emerging therapeutic options for the treatment of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Chagas' disease is an endemic disease in Latin America caused by a unicellular parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that affects almost 18 million people. This condition involves the heart, causing heart failure, arrhythmias, heart block, thromboembolism, stroke, and sudden death. In this article, we review the current and emerging treatment of Chagas' cardiomyopathy focusing mostly on management of heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure therapeutical options including drugs, stem cells and heart transplantation are revised. Antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and intracardiac devices are discussed as well. Finally, the evidence for a potential role of specific antiparasitic treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular disease is reviewed.
Muratore
Claudio A
CA
Department of Cardiology, Arrhythmia Service, Hospital Fernandez, Buenos Aires, Argentina. cmuratore@intramed.net
Baranchuk
Adrian
A
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents