Echocardiographic parameters, speckle tracking, and brain natriuretic peptide levels as indicators of progression of indeterminate stage to Chagas cardiomyopathy

Background Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCM) is characterized by a unique type of cardiac involvement. Few studies have characterized echocardiographic (Echo) transitions from the indeterminate Chagas disease (ChD) form to CCM. The objective of this study was to identify the best cutoffs in multiple Echo parameters, speckle tracking, and N‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) to distinguish patients without CCM (stage A) vs patients with myocardial involvement (stages B, C, or D). Methods Cross‐sectional study conducted in 273 consecutive patients with different CCM stages. Echo parameters, NT‐proBNP, and other clinical variables were measured. Logistic regression models (dichotomized in stage A versus B, C, and D) adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and NT‐proBNP were performed. Results Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV‐GLS), mitral flow E velocity, LV mass index, and NT‐proBNP identified early changes that differentiated stages A vs B, C, and D. The LV‐GLS with a cutoff −20.5% showed the highest performance (AUC 92.99%; accuracy 84.56% and negative predictive value (NPV) 88.82%), which improved when it was additionally adjusted by NT‐proBNP with a cutoff −20.0% (AUC 94.30%; accuracy 88.42% and NPV 93.55%). Conclusions Our findings suggest that Echo parameters and NT‐proBNP may be used as diagnostic variables in detecting the onset of myocardial alterations in patients with the indeterminate stage of ChD. LV‐GLS was the more accurate measurement regarding stage A differentiation from the stages B, C, and D. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to validate these findings.