Study finds long-term hypertension risk for children after heart surgery

Each year, 40,000 children born in the United States have a heart defect, and about a quarter of them will require surgery. Although the outcomes for these children have improved and more are surviving to adulthood, they face other long-term risks, according to a new study.

A research team led by Yale professor of medicine Dr. Chirag Parikh recruited more than 100 children who had undergone cardiac surgery in one of three pediatric centers in North America. With phone calls and an in-person visit, they followed each patient for five years.

The research team found that both hypertension and kidney disease were common in the children five years after cardiac surgery. "We believe that the heart disease and the surgery over time, is predisposing children toward these adverse effects," said Parikh. The findings suggest the need for long-term monitoring of children who survive heart surgery. "As they get older, these children could have an increased risk for developing hypertension and chronic kidney disease," he noted.