What influences outcomes in pediatric and congenital cardiovascular disease?: A healthy lifestyle; obesity and overweight

Abstract The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has risen dramatically over the past forty years. Despite significant public health efforts, over one third of children in the United States are presently overweight or obese (Hales et al., 2017). Obesity also impacts children with congenital and acquired heart disease (HD). In otherwise healthy children, obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and future cardiovascular disease (Dietz, 1998). Much less is known about the cardiovascular implications of obesity in children with HD. Given that structural abnormalities related to HD and past cardiac surgery cannot be altered, obesity may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for preventing future cardiovascular disease in this patient population.