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Frailty and Cognitive Function After the Age of 40 in Adults With Moderate or Severe Congenital Heart Disease

Skogby, Sandra ; Christersson, Christina ; Hlebowicz, Joanna LU ; Mandalenakis, Zacharias ; Goossens, Eva ; Kovacs, Adrienne H. ; Van Bulck, Liesbet ; Luyckx, Koen ; Moons, Philip and Sandberg, Camilla , et al. (2026) In CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease 5(1). p.40-48
Abstract

Background: Decades of progress in care and treatment for congenital heart disease (CHD) has gradually shifted the research focus from initial survival to long-term prognosis and the ageing of adults with CHD. Knowledge about the ageing adult with CHD will guide interventions to safeguard the quality of life across the life course. The present study compares the prevalence of frailty and cognitive dysfunction between adults with CHD and a control group. Methods: Using a multicentre design, we compared adults with moderate or complex CHD aged ≥40 years, equally distributed across the age groups 40-49, 50-59, and >60 years, with age- and sex-matched controls. We assessed frailty phenotypes using the Fried method and cognitive... (More)

Background: Decades of progress in care and treatment for congenital heart disease (CHD) has gradually shifted the research focus from initial survival to long-term prognosis and the ageing of adults with CHD. Knowledge about the ageing adult with CHD will guide interventions to safeguard the quality of life across the life course. The present study compares the prevalence of frailty and cognitive dysfunction between adults with CHD and a control group. Methods: Using a multicentre design, we compared adults with moderate or complex CHD aged ≥40 years, equally distributed across the age groups 40-49, 50-59, and >60 years, with age- and sex-matched controls. We assessed frailty phenotypes using the Fried method and cognitive dysfunction using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool. Results: In total, 156 adults with CHD (56.0 ± 10.4 years, 54.4% male) and 86 controls (55.6 ± 11.2 years, 55.8% male) were included in the study. Adults with CHD and controls did not differ in terms of mean score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (mean score 27.1 vs 26.9, P = 0.59). Similarly, there was no statistical difference in the prevalence of prefrailty/frailty between adults with CHD and controls (36.5% vs 29.0%, P = 0.26). Conclusions: Prevalence rates of cognitive dysfunction and frailty were similar between adults with CHD and age-matched controls. As more patients, particularly those with complex heart lesions, reach older ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment and frailty may change.

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author collaboration
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ageing, congenital, heart defects
in
CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
volume
5
issue
1
pages
40 - 48
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105015805612
  • pmid:41767031
ISSN
2772-8129
DOI
10.1016/j.cjcpc.2025.07.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
97ce9faf-395c-4205-b38e-d4192cc13bfe
date added to LUP
2025-11-12 12:34:58
date last changed
2026-06-25 14:02:10
@article{97ce9faf-395c-4205-b38e-d4192cc13bfe,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Decades of progress in care and treatment for congenital heart disease (CHD) has gradually shifted the research focus from initial survival to long-term prognosis and the ageing of adults with CHD. Knowledge about the ageing adult with CHD will guide interventions to safeguard the quality of life across the life course. The present study compares the prevalence of frailty and cognitive dysfunction between adults with CHD and a control group. Methods: Using a multicentre design, we compared adults with moderate or complex CHD aged ≥40 years, equally distributed across the age groups 40-49, 50-59, and &gt;60 years, with age- and sex-matched controls. We assessed frailty phenotypes using the Fried method and cognitive dysfunction using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool. Results: In total, 156 adults with CHD (56.0 ± 10.4 years, 54.4% male) and 86 controls (55.6 ± 11.2 years, 55.8% male) were included in the study. Adults with CHD and controls did not differ in terms of mean score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (mean score 27.1 vs 26.9, P = 0.59). Similarly, there was no statistical difference in the prevalence of prefrailty/frailty between adults with CHD and controls (36.5% vs 29.0%, P = 0.26). Conclusions: Prevalence rates of cognitive dysfunction and frailty were similar between adults with CHD and age-matched controls. As more patients, particularly those with complex heart lesions, reach older ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment and frailty may change.</p>}},
  author       = {{Skogby, Sandra and Christersson, Christina and Hlebowicz, Joanna and Mandalenakis, Zacharias and Goossens, Eva and Kovacs, Adrienne H. and Van Bulck, Liesbet and Luyckx, Koen and Moons, Philip and Sandberg, Camilla and Johansson, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{2772-8129}},
  keywords     = {{ageing; congenital; heart defects}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{40--48}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease}},
  title        = {{Frailty and Cognitive Function After the Age of 40 in Adults With Moderate or Severe Congenital Heart Disease}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cjcpc.2025.07.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.cjcpc.2025.07.003}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}