A study of the frequency and eliology of sudden death in an area with endemic Chagas disease is reported. The proportion of cases is about the same as elsewhere in this country, where equivalent studies have been done. It is relatively low when compared with that of some other countries. Cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of sudden death in most countries. In our study chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy was the major cause of sudden death in people over 15 years of age.
Chagas disease; American trypanosomiasis; Sudden death; Chagasic cardiomyopathy