Selenium Treatment and Chagasic Cardiopathy (STCC): study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial (original) (raw)

Heart disease progression occurs in 30% of patients with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Supplementation with selenium (Se) in animal model of T. cruzi infection produced promising results. There is evidence that patients with Chagas heart disease have lower Se levels than healthy individuals and patients with T. cruzi infection without of cardiac disease. The aim of this investigation is to estimate the effect of Se treatment on prevention of heart disease progression in patients with chagasic cardiopathy.