@Article{chd.12751,
AUTHOR = {Mahmoud Zaqout, Kristof Vandekerckhove, Nathalie Michels, Laurent Demulier, Thierry Bove, Katrien François, Julie De Backer, Stefaan De Henauw, Daniel De Wolf},
TITLE = {Body mass index in adults with congenital heart disease},
JOURNAL = {Structural and Congenital Heart Disease},
VOLUME = {14},
YEAR = {2019},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {479--486},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/schd/v14n3/38796},
ISSN = {3071-1738},
ABSTRACT = {<b>Objective:</b> To investigate the status of body mass index (BMI) in adult people with 
congenital heart disease (ACHD).<br/>
<b>Methods:</b> Five hundred thirty‐nine adults with CHD (53.8% men) were seen in the 
outpatient clinic from 2013 to 2015 and compared to a reference population 
(n = 1737). The severity of CHD was categorized as mild, moderate, and severe ac‐
cording to standard guidelines. Patients were categorized based on BMI as under‐
weight (<18.5), overweight (25‐30), or obese (>30). Echocardiography and magnetic 
resonance imaging were used to measure ventricular function while exercise capac‐
ity was estimated via cardiopulmonary exercise test.<br/>
<b>Results:</b> Adults with CHD had slightly lower BMI than the reference group (24.1 ± 4.3 
vs 24.6 ± 4.3; P = .012). Men in the mild and severe group (23.9 ± 3.6; 23.3 ± 4.4 vs 
25.1 ± 3.7; P = .007; P = .023) and women in the severe group (21.6 ± 3.3 vs 24.2 ± 4.7; 
P < .001) had lower BMI compared to the reference group. In the subgroups, men with 
ventricular septal defect, coarctation of aorta/ventricular septal defect and Fontan cir‐
culation and women with Fontan circulation had lower BMI than the reference group. 
Underweight was more prevalent in women with severe lesions compared to the refer‐
ence group (22.2% vs 3.8%; P < .001). BMI was associated with age and exercise ca‐
pacity in patients with mild and moderate lesions, while higher BMI was related to 
better ventricular function in women with Fontan circulation.<br/>
<b>Conclusion:</b> Underweight was more prevalent in ACHD patients with severe lesions. 
Special attention should be paid to the possible existence of underweight‐related 
comorbidities.},
DOI = {10.1111/chd.12751}
}