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Updated: Mar 3, 2026

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Frailty and Cognitive Function After the Age of 40 in Adults With Moderate or Severe Congenital Heart Disease

Sandra Skogby1,2, Christina Christersson3, Joanna Hlebowicz4

  • 1Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
|March 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) show similar rates of frailty and cognitive dysfunction compared to controls. Further research is needed as more CHD patients age.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Geriatrics
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Advances in congenital heart disease (CHD) care shift focus to long-term outcomes and aging.
  • Understanding the aging process in adults with CHD is crucial for maintaining quality of life.
  • This study investigates frailty and cognitive function in aging adults with CHD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of frailty and cognitive dysfunction in adults with CHD versus a control group.
  • To assess the long-term health implications for the growing population of adults with CHD.
  • To inform interventions for safeguarding quality of life in aging adults with CHD.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter study compared adults (≥40 years) with moderate/complex CHD to age- and sex-matched controls.
  • Frailty was assessed using the Fried method.
  • Cognitive function was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores between adults with CHD and controls (27.1 vs 26.9, P=0.59).
  • Similar prevalence of prefrailty/frailty was observed in both groups (36.5% vs 29.0%, P=0.26).
  • The study included 156 adults with CHD and 86 controls.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive dysfunction and frailty prevalence rates are comparable between adults with CHD and age-matched controls.
  • Future research should monitor these outcomes as CHD populations age, especially those with complex conditions.
  • Long-term prognosis and quality of life for aging adults with CHD require ongoing investigation.
Abstract

Keywords:
ageingcongenitalheart defects

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