What question did this study set out to answer?

To identify clinical and echocardiographic variables that predict mortality in individuals with chronic Chagas' disease.

Echocardiographic and Clinical Predictors of Mortality in Chronic Chagas' Disease

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LV dimensions may refine mortality risk stratification in chronic Chagas' disease; leaves open prospective validation against clinical scores.

To identify clinical and echocardiographic variables that predict mortality in individuals with chronic Chagas' disease.
Prospective epidemiological study of 960 subjects seropositive for Chagas' disease evaluated between June 1981 and June 1992, with 283 undergoing echocardiography.
Tracked survival over a mean follow-up of 48.3 ± 36.4 months (range, 1–156 months) and analyzed prognostic factors using univariate tests and a multivariate Cox regression model in 215 subjects.
During follow-up, 108 subjects died, with univariate analysis identifying left ventricular internal dimensions, fractional shortening, radius-to-thickness ratio, left ventricular mass, mitral E-point septal separation (EPSS), and 17 non-echocardiographic variables as significant predictors of death (P < 0.001 each).
Multivariate Cox modeling identified clinical group (P < 0.0001), EPSS of 22 mm (P = 0.003), first- or second-degree heart block (P = 0.003), cardiothoracic ratio ≥ 0.55 (P = 0.012), precordial ST segment elevation (P = 0.014), age ≥ 56 years (P = 0.028), and right bundle-branch block (P = 0.045) as independent mortality predictors.
The presence of an apical aneurysm detected on two-dimensional echocardiography was significantly associated with increased mortality (Chi-square = 11.5, P < 0.001).

Rodriguez-Salas et al. (1998) studied this question.

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LV dimensions may refine mortality risk stratification in chronic Chagas' disease; leaves open prospective validation against clinical scores.