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Obesity is a common comorbidity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease

Nelangi M Pinto1, Bradley S Marino, Gil Wernovsky

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Pediatrics
|November 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Obesity is prevalent in children with heart conditions, yet pediatric cardiologists often fail to document weight discussions. This highlights a need for better communication and emphasis on healthy lifestyles for these vulnerable children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Obesity presents a significant cardiovascular risk, particularly for children with pre-existing heart conditions.
  • Sedentary lifestyles are common in children with heart disease due to various restrictions.
  • The rising epidemic of obesity necessitates an evaluation of its impact on pediatric cardiac populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of obesity and overweight conditions in children with acquired and congenital heart disease.
  • To compare obesity rates in this cohort with national data and healthy controls.
  • To determine if pediatric cardiologists documented discussions about obesity with referring practitioners.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional review of 1523 pediatric cardiology patients from 2004.
  • Categorization of heart disease into subgroups: mild, arrhythmia, biventricular repair, Fontan palliation, and heart transplantation.
  • Analysis of dictated clinic letters to identify documentation of obesity or weight counseling.

Main Results:

  • Over 25% of pediatric cardiology patients were classified as obese or overweight.
  • The Fontan group showed a significantly lower prevalence of obesity/overweight (15.9%).
  • Obesity or weight counseling was not documented in the majority of clinic letters.

Conclusions:

  • Obesity is a common comorbidity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease.
  • Pediatric cardiologists exhibit inadequate communication regarding obesity with referring practitioners.
  • Healthy lifestyle counseling and regular exercise may be underemphasized in the management of children with heart disease.
Abstract

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