Advances in Clinical Practice, Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Chagas’ Heart Disease

Abstract

Chagas disease has become globalized as a result of the migratory process of infected patients to non-endemic areas. With the considerable number of individuals affected by the disease, detection and treatment of its chronic manifestations is a relevant and necessary issue. Growing attention has been paid to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), which includes heart failure, malignant arrhythmias, conduction disturbances and thromboembolic events. Many pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments for CCC are still extrapolations of existing evidence on the treatment of other clinical conditions, highlighting the need of including this group of patients in future studies. In this review, we will discuss the most recent data from the literature and clinical practice on the diagnosis and treatment of CCC. IntrodutionChagas disease (CD) is a neglected tropical disease that affects socially vulnerable individuals that experience stigma, discrimination and high morbidity and mortality, especially those with the cardiac form of the disease. 1,2 Changes in the epidemiological landscape of CD have been described worldwide.With the migratory phenomenon, CD has become globalized. Especially coming from the Latin America, CD