Table 1.

Clinical features of the study population^*

Serology	Disease form	No. of individuals	Age limits (years)	Mean age (years)	Sex (male/female)
Positive	IC	58	12–51	35.3	25/33
	DC	59	12–55	35.9	34/25
	MCC	57	24–55	39.2	29/28
	SCC	54	14–57	43.1	39/15
Negative	HI	59	19–55	39.6	35/24
	nCh	49	12–55	37.8	28/21
Total		336	12–57	38.5	190/146

^*IC = indeterminate form of Chagas disease (normal electrocardiogram (ECG) and thoracic radiography with normal esophagus and colon x-rays); DC = digestive form of Chagas disease (megacolon and/or megaesphagus with normal ECG and thoracic radiography); MCC = mild chagasic cardiomyopathy (altered ECG, such as complete right bundle branch block, anterior left fascicular block, premature ventricular beating and alterations in ventricular repolarization with normal chest radiography and normal esophagus and colon x-rays); SCC = severe chagasic cardiomyopathy (altered ECG, high frequency of premature heart beating, ventricular auricular block, atrial fibrillation, clinical symptoms of cardiac alterations and cardiomegaly visualized by thoracic radiography); HI = healthy individual (normal ECG); nCh = no Chagas patients (other diseases).