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Biological Age in Congenital Heart Disease-Exploring the Ticking Clock
Tijs K Tournoy1, Philip Moons2,3,4, Bo Daelman2
1Department of Cardiology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Insights
Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience accelerated aging and earlier onset of age-related conditions. Further research is needed to understand and manage this unique aging population for improved long-term care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Medical and surgical advancements have increased the lifespan of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).
- Adults with CHD face lifelong challenges as their conditions are not curable.
- A growing body of evidence suggests an accelerated aging process in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the emerging data on accelerated aging in adults with CHD.
- To explore age-related complications occurring earlier in life for this group.
- To discuss potential markers of biological age and future care strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on aging in adults with CHD.
- Analysis of data on age-related cardiovascular and systemic complications.
- Examination of potential biomarkers for biological age assessment.
Main Results:
- Adults with CHD exhibit earlier onset of cardiovascular issues like heart failure, arrhythmia, and coronary artery disease.
- Systemic age-related conditions, including renal dysfunction, lung disease, dementia, stroke, and cancer, are also observed at younger ages.
- There is a clear need to further investigate the aging process in CHD patients.
Conclusions:
- Accelerated aging is a significant concern for adults with CHD, necessitating specialized, long-term care.
- Understanding biological aging markers is crucial for proactive management.
- Developing improved care strategies is essential to enhance the lifespan and quality of life for this growing population.
Abstract:
Over the past 50 years, there has been a major shift in age distribution of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) thanks to significant advancements in medical and surgical treatment. Patients with CHD are, however, never cured and face unique challenges throughout their lives. In this review, we discuss the growing data suggesting accelerated aging in this population. Adults with CHD are more often and at a younger age confronted with age-related cardiovascular complications such as heart failure, arrhythmia, and coronary artery disease. These can be related to the original birth defect, complications of correction, or any residual defects. In addition, and less deductively, more systemic age-related complications are seen earlier, such as renal dysfunction, lung disease, dementia, stroke, and cancer. The occurrence of these complications at a younger age makes it imperative to further map out the aging process in patients across the spectrum of CHD. We review potential feasible markers to determine biological age and provide an overview of the current data. We provide evidence for an unmet need to further examine the aging paradigm as this stresses the higher need for care and follow-up in this unique, newly aging population. We end by exploring potential approaches to improve lifespan care.
