B3530 - Health and wellbeing in surviving congenital heart disease patients - 14/05/2020

B number: 
B3530
Principal applicant name: 
Lucia Cocomello | MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol
Co-applicants: 
Professor Deborah A Lawlor, Dr Rosie Cornish, Mr Kurt Taylor, Professor Massimo Caputo
Title of project: 
Health and wellbeing in surviving congenital heart disease patients
Proposal summary: 

Patients with congenital heart (CHD) disease now live longer and therefore they are more likely to experience common aging condition.
One of these are cardiovascular disease (CVD) with relative morbidity and mortality.However, whether the established risk factors for CVD in the general population are the same with CHD is unclear.
In addition, there is a substantial evidence that risk for CVD begins in early life and that risk factors (e.g. obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia)measured in childhood and adolescence track and relate to adult risk, but the prevalence of these in children with CHD and their future risk on CVD is unknown and may differ from the general population.
Another issue for the aging CHD population is regarding their educational achievement. Academic performance represent a main area of interest as this is anticipated to have major impact in their quality of life. It's well recognised that some children with CHD can present neurocognitive impairment when compared to the general population. However, whether this has a significant effect in their overall academic performance remains unclear with discordant results reported.
To our knowledge there are no study that investigate the trajectories of cardiovascular risk factor and neurocognitive development (in term of educational achievement)from early childhood to adulthood life.

Impact of research: 
There will be a better understanding of cardiovascular risk factors prevalence and trajectories, that could emphasize the importance of primary cardiovascular prevention in the CHD population, irrespective of age. In addition, results on educational outcome and trajectories will provide information to counsel patients, their parents and to provide appropriate support.
Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 7 May, 2020
Keywords: 
Clinical research/clinical practice, Congenital abnormalities, Statistical methods, Cardiovascular