Adults with congenital heart disease, a growing community
Raluca Ionescu-Ittu, MSc and Nathalie Comtois, RN
A recent study coordinated by Dr. Marelli from the MAUDE Unit and published in Circulation journal this year has shown for the first time that there was a continuous rise from year 1985 to year 2000 in the prevalence of adults with heart defects. This increase is likely due to both a constant increase in the number of children born in 1960s and 1970s who survived to adulthood and an increase in survival among patients born before 1960s who were already adults in 1985 when the study began.
The increase in the number of children who survive to adulthood is likely to continue as the new generation of children born and operated during the golden era of cardiac surgery –1980s and 1990s – will become adults in the next 20 years. It stays with us, adult cardiologists and adult patients, to make sure that in the next 20 years we also improve the survival and quality of life of this new generation of adult patients.
Adults with heart defects need to be routinely checked by specialists in congenital heart disease to pick up and treat early any changes in their health status. Two centers specialized in the care of adults with congenital heart disease -MAUDE Unit at McGill University Health Center and a second one at the Montreal Heart Institute- have been set up in Quebec in the last few years and are following an increasing number of patients. It is important that you, the patients, keep your appointments . Working together - patients, doctors, nurses and other specialists- is the key to make adults with CHD live a longer and healthier life. We are a community.
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