The impact of obesity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease

Over the past three decades childhood obesity has increased dramatically, and has been deemed a national epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control. Approximately 31% of children in the United States are overweight or obese. While obesity is a known risk factor for future cardiovascular disease in the general pediatric population, significantly less is known about the impact of obesity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease (HD). Recent data suggests that the prevalence of obesity in children with HD is similar to that of the general pediatric population. Further study is necessary to evaluate unique risk factors for obesity in the HD population such as restriction from physical activity. Investigation of the cardiovascular sequelae of obesity in children with HD is also warranted. Anatomic and/or functional abnormalities related to past cardiac surgery are often fixed; thus obesity may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for future cardiovascular disease in this patient population.