Longitudinal Trends in Body Mass Index for Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

Obesity is a modifiable, independent risk factor for adverse long-term outcomes in children and adults. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obese status in a cohort of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) as well as to assess longitudinal trends over a 20-year period. The study group consisted of patients 18 years of age and older followed at our adult CHD clinic. Body mass index (BMI) data were collected from our index period, consisting of patient encounters from 2009 to 2012 (Period 2), as well as during 2000-2003 (Period 1) and 2017-2020 (Period 3) when available. The study cohort was subdivided into three groups per published guidelines: simple, moderate, and greater CHD complexity. The prevalence of obesity and overweight status was compared among the different groups as well as with published data (NHANES). Our cohort in Period 2 consisted of 261 subjects. The median age (25-75% interquartile range) for Period 2 was 27.6 (21.1-35.9) years and BMI was 25.2 (21.7-30.0) kg/m2 with 8.0% underweight, 40.0% with normal weight, 27.0% overweight, and 25% obese. 95 patients had follow-up data from each time period, with 96% of patients having moderate or greater complexity of CHD. The combined percentage of overweight and obese patients for the moderate and greater complex CHD groups increased from 42 and 37% in period 1 to 60% and 65% in period 3, respectively. The percentage of obese patients with moderate and greater CHD complexity increased by 250% and 55%, respectively, from Period 1 to 3. Our study cohort had a high prevalence of overweight and obese weight status. Given adults with CHD have high baseline cardiovascular morbidity, the presence of obesity can increase their risk for poor outcomes, highlighting the need for prevention of this modifiable risk factor.

Effect of long-term exposure to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol beginning early in life on the risk of coronary heart disease: a Mendelian randomization analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of long-term exposure to lower plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) on the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). BACKGROUND: LDL-C is causally related to the risk of CHD. However, the association between long-term exposure to lower LDL-C beginning early in life and the risk of CHD has not been reliably quantified. METHODS: We conducted a series of meta-analyses to estimate the effect of long-term exposure to lower LDL-C on the risk of CHD mediated by 9 polymorphisms in 6 different genes. We then combined these Mendelian randomization studies in a meta-analysis to obtain a more precise estimate of the effect of long-term exposure to lower LDL-C and compared it with the clinical benefit associated with the same magnitude of LDL-C reduction during treatment with a statin. RESULTS: All 9 polymorphisms were associated with a highly consistent reduction in the risk of CHD per unit lower LDL-C, with no evidence of heterogeneity of effect (I(2) = 0.0%). In a meta-analysis combining nonoverlapping data from 312,321 participants, naturally random allocation to long-term exposure to lower LDL-C was associated with a 54.5% (95% confidence interval: 48.8% to 59.5%) reduction in the risk of CHD for each mmol/l (38.7 mg/dl) lower LDL-C. This represents a 3-fold greater reduction in the risk of CHD per unit lower LDL-C than that observed during treatment with a statin started later in life (p = 8.43 × 10(-19)). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged exposure to lower LDL-C beginning early in life is associated with a substantially greater reduction in the risk of CHD than the current practice of lowering LDL-C beginning later in life.