Open Access

ARTICLE

Metabolic syndrome in adults with congenital heart disease and increased intima‐media thickness

Anna‐Luisa Häcker^1,2, Renate Oberhoffer^1,2, Alfred Hager¹, Peter Ewert¹, Jan Müller^1,2

1 Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
2 Institute of Preventive Pediatrics, Technische Universität München, München, Germany

* Corresponding Author: Anna‐Luisa Häcker, Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Lazarettstr. 36, D‐80636 München, Germany. Email:

Congenital Heart Disease 2019, 14(6), 945-951. https://doi.org/10.1111/chd.12845

Abstract

Aims: Age‐related cardiovascular diseases are a relevant risk in the aging population of adults with congenital heart diseases (ACHD). Risk factors such as the metabolic syndrome (MetS) impact the risk of increased carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) and thereby long‐term cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to assess MetS in ACHD and outline a possible association to cIMT.
Methods and Results: In total, 512 ACHD (43.0 ± 9.6 years, 48.9% female) were screened for MetS by the standards of the International Diabetes Federation, and their cIMT by ultrasound from January 2017 to June 2019. MetS was prevalent in 72 (14.1%) of the ACHD population (34 female, 15.5%). Regarding severity class, pa‐ tients with simple forms of CHD had a MetS prevalence of 11.8%, moderate 16.7%, and severe 13.8%. ACHD with MetS had significantly increased cIMT compared to ACHD without MetS (ACHD with MetS: 0.587 ± 0.079 mm, ACHD without MetS: 0.560 ± 0.087 mm, mean difference: 0.028 mm, P = .013). Such a difference in vas‐ cular structure corresponds to roughly five years of normal vascular aging of the vessels.
Conclusion: ACHD with MetS have a thicker cIMT compared to ACHD without MetS. Screening for MetS and targeting risk factors in ACHD might help to prevent struc‐ tural alterations of the vessels at an early stage.

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