Cardiac rehabilitation in chagasic patients with heart failure Introduction: The functional capacity of chagasic patients with chronic heart failure, tends to deteriorate in a significant and progressive manner. Rehabilitation programs have demonstrated clear benefits in patients with other cardiomyopathies and patients with multiple risk factors. Objective: To evaluate the functional capacity in chagasic patients with heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, in a one year period with a cardiac rehabilitation protocol. Materials and Methods: We included patients in NYHA functional class II. All of them were evaluated with 6 minutes walk test, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in ml/kg/min, functional capacity (in metabolic equivalents, METS), Borg´s effort perception scale, myocardial efficiency index (IEM) and ejection fraction (FE). These parameters were valorated each 3 months and were compared between patients against theirselves, at a year of follow-up. Resultados: We recruited 42 patients, 17 males of 41 - 56 years old (mean 54) and 25 females of 45 a 57 years old (mean 51), in functional calss II. The mean 6 minutes walk test was 375 meters, VO2 max 15-18 ml/kg/min, functional capacity was 4.28-5.14 METS, Borg´s scale 4-5, IEM was 0.82 and FE 0.40. Afeter one year, 30 patients completed the rehabilitation program and change their functional class to I, the six minutes walk test was > 375 m, VO2 max 20-25 ml/kg/min, functional capacity 6-7 METS, Borg´s scale 5-7, IEM 1.17 and FE 0.45 Conclusions: The application of the rehabilitation program in one group of Chagasic patients with heart failure and NYHA functional class II, resulted in an improvement in the functional capacity, evaluated by different indexes, and had a positive psychological influence. Carrying out programmed physical training in these patients, demonstrated satisfactory results with an important adherence to the treatment.

Chagas; Heart Failure; Cardiac Rehabilitation