Daily Physical Activity and Perception of Condition Severity Among Male and Female Adolescents With Congenital Heart Malformation

The purpose of this study was to examine among young patients with congenital heart malformation (CHM) the concordance between a cardiologist's definition of the severity of malformation and recommendations regarding physical activity and the patients' perceptions of their condition. Subjects included male (n = 55) and female (n = 45) adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years who have trivial (38%), mild (21%), or moderate (41%) CHM. Thirty-one percent of the patients rated their CHM as less severe whereas 15% rated their CHM as more severe than the cardiologist's definition. Although most patients engaged in physical activity appropriate for their condition, a noteworthy percentage engaged in activities more intense than those recommended by the patient's personal cardiologist.