Assessing Cardiovascular Health in Paediatric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Using the CANHEART Health Index

Paediatric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with sudden cardiac death, often resulting in restriction of strenuous physical activity. High levels of inactivity and a rise in youth obesity may increase risk of poor cardiovascular (CV) health in these patients. We aim to compare the CV disease risk profile of paediatric patients with HCM to Canadian youth.

Patients with HCM (10-19 years) were recruited from 10 paediatric cardiac centres in Canada. The CV disease risk profile was determined using the Healthy Hearts School Program questionnaire and Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team (CANHEART) health index. Poisson regressions were used to assess associations between the CV disease risk profile of paediatric patients with HCM and the overall CANHEART health score.

A total of 56 subjects were enrolled (71% male, median age: 15.5 years [interquartile range: 13.8-16.8], median body mass index: 23.3 [interquartile range: 19.5-27.7]). Results of the CANHEART health index revealed that 89% of participants with HCM never tried smoking, 52% had a healthy body mass index, 39% consumed ≥5 fruits/vegetables per day, and 50% engaged in ≥60 minutes of walking or 20 minutes of running/jogging per day. When CANHEART intermediate and poor health index scores were combined, similar proportions were obtained for each group (HCM 82.1% vs Canadian youth 83.4%; P = 0.724).

Many paediatric patients with HCM in Canada have intermediate or poor CV health as determined by the CANHEART health score, with high rates of obesity and low physical activity levels driving these trends. Interventions should be developed to promote positive CV health behaviours among patients with HCM.