The Association between Sex and Long-Term Pediatric Cardiovascular Morbidity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Public Health Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally.
• Understanding pediatric cardiovascular health is crucial for long-term well-being.
• Sex-based differences in cardiovascular risk are established in adults, but less understood in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sex and the incidence of long-term cardiovascular morbidity in children.
• To determine if sex is an independent risk factor for pediatric cardiovascular disease.
• To compare the cumulative risk of cardiovascular morbidity up to age 18 between male and female newborns.

Main Methods:

• Population-based cohort study design.
• Inclusion of 240,953 newborns from deliveries between 1991 and 2013.
• Utilized Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models for analysis, controlling for gestational age, birth weight, and maternal factors.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular morbidity up to age 18 was significantly more common in male newborns (0.3%) compared to female newborns (0.2%).
• Male sex demonstrated an independent association with increased long-term cardiovascular morbidity.
• The adjusted hazard ratio for male sex was 1.37 (95% CI 1.16-1.63, P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Male newborns have a significantly increased risk of pediatric cardiovascular morbidity.
• This increased risk associated with male sex is independent of gestational age and birth weight.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering sex in pediatric cardiovascular risk assessment and management.