A unique study documenting the prevalence of congenital heart disease in both adults and children in the same Quebecois population found a striking increase in the number of adults with CHD.
A unique study documenting the prevalence of congenital heart disease in both adults and children in the same Quebecois population found a striking increase in the number of adults with CHD.
The rise in absolute numbers from 1985 to 2000 and the prevalence of severe CHD in adults exceeded that observed in children, according to a study from McGill University in Montreal, published online Jan. 8 in the journal Circulation.
By the year 2000, adults and children (under 18) constituted nearly equal proportions of those alive with severe CHD, with an 85% increase in prevalence observed in adults between 1985 and 2000. The largest increase in prevalence was in adolescents and young adults, suggesting that the prevalence of severe CHD has yet to peak in adults.
