Key result
Chagas disease is linked to altered heart rate turbulence onset and slope versus healthy controls.
Why the study?
Heart rate turbulence is a powerful ECG-related risk predictor, but its characteristics in patients with Chagas disease, who frequently have ventricular premature complexes, were not well examined.
Does Chagas disease alter heart rate turbulence indices compared to healthy controls?
Observational (n=137)
Does Chagas disease alter heart rate turbulence indices compared to healthy controls?
p-value: p=<0.001
Heart rate turbulence indices are significantly altered in patients with Chagas disease compared to healthy controls, suggesting impaired autonomic heart control.
Altered HRT in Chagas may indicate autonomic dysfunction; hypothesis-generating for risk stratification and should not yet change practice.
Heart rate turbulence (HRT) quantifies the biphasic response of the sinus node to ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) and is a powerful electrocardiogram related risk predictor. VPCs are frequent in Chagas disease, a potentially lethal illness, and can hamper the analysis by conventional methods of autonomic heart control. The aim of the study was to examine HRT in patients with Chagas disease. Chagas disease patients and healthy controls (group 0, n = 11) without other diseases were submitted to a standardized protocol, including electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and 24-hour Holter monitoring. Chagas disease patients were divided according to their left ventricular systolic function: normal (group 1, n = 103) and reduced ejection fraction (group 2, n = 23). Two HRT indices, turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS), were calculated and compared among groups after adjustment for covariates like the prevalence of VPCs and the mean heart rate. Chagas disease patients had significantly altered TO (group 1: -0.0186, group 2: -0.0126) and TS (group 1: 10.844, group 2: 7.870) values in comparison with controls (TO -0.0256, TS 19.829); P < 0.001 for both comparisons. In conclusion, HRT data may be useful in the electrocardiographic analysis of autonomic heart control in Chagas disease. Its prognostic value remains to be determined.
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Luiz et al. (2003) conducted an observational in Chagas disease (n=137). Chagas disease vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Heart rate turbulence indices (turbulence onset and turbulence slope) (p=<0.001). Chagas disease was associated with significantly altered heart rate turbulence onset and slope compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001 for both comparisons).
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