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In Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC), studies are needed to identify arrhythmogenic risk factors in patients in which moderate to severe ventricular dysfunction is not present.To verify the correlation between frequent ventricular arrhythmias (PVC), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), extension of fibrosis by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and urinary norepinephrine measurement (NOREPI) in CCC with preserved or mildly compromised LVEF.The presence of ventricular extrasystoles30/h was analyzed on Holter. At CMR, LVEF and quantification of fibrosis mass were evaluated. The dosage of NOREPI was performed using the Muskiet method. The correlation coefficient matrix was calculated to measure the predictive ability of the variables to predict another variable, with p0.05 being considered significant.A total of 59 patients were included. The mean age was 57.9 + 10.94 years. PVC was detected in 28 patients. The fibrosis variable was inversely proportional to LVEF (R of -0.61) and NOREPI (R of -0.68). Also, the variable PVC was inversely proportional to LVEF (R of -0.33) and NOREPI (R of -0.27). On the other hand, LVEF was directly proportional to NOREPI (R of 0.83).In this sample, in patients with CCC with preserved or slightly reduced LVEF, integrity of the autonomic nervous system is observed in hearts with little fibrosis and higher LVEF despite the presence of traditional risk factors for sudden cardiac death. There is correlation between the levels of NOREPI, LVEF, and myocardial fibrosis, but not with PVC.Na cardiomiopatia chagásica crônica (CCC), impõem-se estudos com a proposta de identificar fatores de risco arritmogênicos em pacientes nos quais a disfunção ventricular de moderada a grave não está presente.Verificar a dependência entre arritmias ventriculares frequentes (ARV), fração de ejeção de ventrículo esquerdo (FEVE), extensão da fibrose pela ressonância magnética cardíaca (RMC) e dosagem de norepinefrina urinária (NOREPI) na CCC com FEVE preservada ou minimamente comprometida.Foi analisada no Holter a presença de extrassístoles ventriculares30/hora. Na RMC, avaliou-se a FEVE e a quantificação de massa fibrosada. Foi realizada a dosagem de NOREPI pelo método de Muskiet. A matriz de correlação foi calculada para aferir a capacidade de as variáveis preverem outra sendo considerado significante p0,05.Foram incluídos no estudo 59 pacientes, com idade média de 57,9±10,94 anos. Arritmia ventricular frequente (ARV) foi detectada em 28 pacientes. A variável fibrose mostrou-se inversamente proporcional à fração de ejeção de ventrículo esquerdo (FEVE) (R de −0,61) e à norepinefrina urinária (NOREPI) (R de −0,68), assim como a variável ARV mostrou-se inversamente proporcional à FEVE (R de −0,33) e à NOREPI (R de −0,27). Já a FEVE mostrou-se diretamente proporcional à NOREPI (R de 0,83).Nesta amostra, em pacientes com CCC com FEVE preservada ou discretamente reduzida, observa-se a integridade do sistema nervoso autonômico em corações com pouca fibrose e FEVE mais elevada, apesar da presença de tradicionais fatores de risco para morte súbita cardíaca. Há dependência entre os níveis de NOREPI, FEVE e fibrose miocárdica, mas não com ARV.

OBJECTIVES Frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) may impair autonomic heart rate modulation. Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) may enhance risk of sudden death. Our objective was to describe whole day and wakefulness/sleep HRV parameters from FLE patients in comparison with those of healthy controls and correlate HRV parameters to SUDEP-7 scores. METHODS Ten patients with FLE and 15 healthy controls underwent a 24-hour electrocardiogram holter. The SUDEP-7 score was calculated for patients. Subgroups were identified according to active epilepsy, number of generalized seizures, cognitive deficit, medication load, and time-length of epilepsy. Time-domain SDNN, SDNNi, SDANN, rMSDD, and pNN50 and frequency-domain LF, HF, and LF/HF parameters were analyzed. Wilcoxon and Spearman correlation tests were used. A P

Background: Patients with Chagas disease and segmental wall motion abnormality (SWMA) have worse prognosis independent of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is currently the best method to detect SWMA and to assess fibrosis. Objective: To quantify fibrosis by using late gadolinium enhancement CMR in patients with Chagas disease and preserved or minimally impaired ventricular function (> 45%), and to detect patterns of dependence between fibrosis, SWMA and LVEF in the presence of ventricular arrhythmia. Methods: Electrocardiogram, treadmill exercise test, Holter and CMR were carried out in 61 patients, who were divided into three groups as follows: (1) normal electrocardiogram and CMR without SWMA; (2) abnormal electrocardiogram and CMR without SWMA; (3) CMR with SWMA independently of electrocardiogram. Results: The number of patients with ventricular arrhythmia in relation to the total of patients, the percentage of fibrosis, and the LVEF were, respectively: Group 1, 4/26, 0.74% and 74.34%; Group 2, 4/16, 3.96% and 68.5%; and Group 3, 11/19, 14.07% and 55.59%. Ventricular arrhythmia was found in 31.1% of the patients. Those with and without ventricular arrhythmia had mean LVEF of 59.87% and 70.18%, respectively, and fibrosis percentage of 11.03% and 3.01%, respectively. Of the variables SWMA, groups, age, LVEF and fibrosis, only the latter was significant for the presence of ventricular arrhythmia, with a cutoff point of 11.78% for fibrosis mass (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Even in patients with Chagas disease and preserved or minimally impaired ventricular function, electrical instability can be present. Regarding the presence of ventricular arrhythmia, fibrosis is the most important variable, its amount being proportional to the complexity of the groups.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most frequent genetic cardiac disease that causes sudden death in young people, with an incidence of 1:500 adults. The routinely used criteria for worst prognosis have limited sensitivity and specificity. Thus, the estimated risk of evolving to dilated cardiomyopathy or sudden death is somewhat inaccurate, leading to management uncertainty of HCM patients. Therefore, an accurate noninvasive method for the diagnosis of HCM with prognostic value is of great importance. In the last years, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) emerged not only as a diagnostic tool, but also as a study with prognostic values, by characterizing myocardial fibrosis with great accuracy in HCM patients. Additionally, CMR identifies the types of hypertrophy, analyses the ventricular function, estimates the intraventricular gradient and allows the determination of differential diagnosis. Moreover, CMR can uniquely access myocardial fibrosis in HCM.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as an important tool for the evaluation of cardiomyopathies, providing highly accurate information on the macroscopic changes of cardiac morphology, function, and tissue composition. For myocardial tissue characterization, the technique of myocardial delayed enhancement is a potentially promising tool for diagnosis, management, and prognosis. Several CMR approaches are now available to better diagnose and prognosticate dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular disease, myocarditis, and other cardiomyopathies.