Cardiovascular disease risk factors in congenital heart disease survivors are associated with heart failure.

Five sites in the United States linked population-based healthcare data and vital records to establish surveillance network for identifying the factors which influence congenital heart disease (CHD) outcomes. Survivors of CHD frequently develop heart failure across the lifespan. Over 1 in 50 adolescent and 1 in 8 adult survivors of CHD have heart failure which is associated with increased mortality compared to CHD survivors without heart failure. Heart failure development is associated with potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. Controlling modifiable cardiovascular risk factors may serve to lower the risk of heart failure and mortality in survivors of congenital heart disease of all ages.