Abstract
The life expectancy of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) has increased in recent years. As a result, other risk factors with later onset in life are in the focus of patient care. Endothelial function is an early indicator of cardiovascular risk and was investigated along further structural vessel properties. A total of 17 patients (41.7 ± 7.1 years, 8 women) with Tetralogy of Fallot were 1:2 matched for sex with 34 (38.9 ± 8.1 years, 16 women) healthy volunteers. Participants received an assessment of their endothelial function and a structural assessment of the aorta. Patients with ToF showed a reduced endothelial function determined by reactive hyperaemia index after adjusting for age, weight and height (ToF: 1.55 ± 0.31 vs. controls: 1.84 ± 0.47; p = 0.023). No differences in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) between the ToF and healthy controls (ToF: 0.542 ± 0.063 mm vs. controls: 0.521 ± 0.164 mm; p = 0.319) were found. Patients with ToF had reduced vascular function compared to healthy subjects. As the structural component is not affected, endothelial dysfunction seems not to have yet manifested itself as a morphological change. Nevertheless, long-term management of these patients should include vascular parameters.
Highlights
Most patients with congenital heart disease reach adulthood, resulting in a new challenge for cardiologists in terms of management, for caregivers in terms of resource utilization and for the patients themselves in terms of prevention of sequels [1,2,3]
The aim of this study was to investigate whether adults with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) showed a reduced endothelial function determined by reactive Patients with showed a reduced endothelial function reactive hyhyperaemia indexToF
Summary
Most patients with congenital heart disease reach adulthood, resulting in a new challenge for cardiologists in terms of management, for caregivers in terms of resource utilization and for the patients themselves in terms of prevention of sequels [1,2,3]. In this context, the prevention of cardiovascular disease becomes imperative [4,5]. Cyanotic CHD patients [13,14] have low total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels They present endothelial dysfunction due to diminished numbers of endothelial progenitor cells and limited response to endothelin. Research findings are still sparse, and the evidence supporting them is low
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