Key result
Surgically corrected CHD in children is linked to substantially lower VO2peak versus healthy controls.
Why the study?
Children with surgically corrected congenital heart disease often experience reduced cardiorespiratory fitness associated with negative long-term health outcomes, prompting the need to quantify peak oxygen consumption impairments and explore related clinical variables.
Do children with surgically corrected congenital heart disease have reduced peak oxygen consumption compared to healthy controls?
Meta-Analysis (n=5,644)
Do children with surgically corrected congenital heart disease have reduced peak oxygen consumption compared to healthy controls?
Effect estimate: SMD 1.13 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.28)
Children with surgically corrected congenital heart disease have significantly impaired cardiorespiratory fitness compared to healthy controls, particularly those with univentricular hearts.
Highlights need for fitness monitoring and interventions post-correction; strengthens evidence on diagnosis-specific impairments in congenital heart disease.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, and despite advancements in medical care, children with surgically corrected CHD often experience reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, which is associated with negative long-term health outcomes. This meta-analysis aimed to quantify peak oxygen consumption (̇VO 2peak ) impairments in children with surgically corrected CHD, examine isolated diagnosis-specific impairments, and explore the relationship between clinical variables and cardiorespiratory fitness. A total of 45 studies encompassing 2,536 children with CHD and 3,108 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis, revealing that children with CHD had significantly lower ̇VO 2peak (standardized mean difference = 1.13, 95 % CI 0.98 to 1.28), with those having univentricular hearts being most affected (standardized mean difference = 1.61, 95 % CI 1.34 to 1.87). Reduced saturation during exercise, chronotropic impairment and early onset of anaerobic threshold are likely to play a role in this impairment.
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Haas et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in Surgically corrected congenital heart disease (n=5,644). Surgically corrected congenital heart disease vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) (SMD 1.13, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.28). Children with surgically corrected congenital heart disease had significantly lower peak oxygen consumption compared to healthy controls (SMD 1.13; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.28).
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