Hypertension in adults with repaired coarctation of the aorta.
OBJECTIVE
In adults with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), hypertension (HTN) is a common long-term complication. We investigated the prevalence of HTN and analyzed factors associated with HTN.


RESULTS
In the national register for congenital heart disease, 653 adults with repaired CoA were identified (mean age 36.9±14.4years); 344 (52.7%) of them had HTN, defined as either an existing diagnosis or blood pressure (BP) ≥140/90mmHg at the clinical visit. In a multivariable model, age (years) (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, CI 1.05-1.10), sex (male) (OR 3.35, CI 1.98-5.68), and body mass index (kilograms per square meter) (OR 1.09, CI 1.03-1.16) were independently associated with having HTN, and so was systolic arm-leg BP gradient where an association with HTN was found at the ranges of (10, 20] and >20mmHg, in comparison to the interval ≤10mmHg (OR 3.58, CI 1.70-7.55, and OR 11.38, CI 4.03-32.11). This model remained valid when all patients who had increased BP (≥140/90mmHg) without having been diagnosed with HTN were excluded from the analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension is common in patients with previously repaired CoA and is associated with increasing age, male sex, and elevated body mass index. There is also an association with arm-leg BP gradient, starting at relatively low levels that are usually not considered for intervention.
Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: dan_r_82@hotmail.com.
Daniel
D
Rinnström
Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mikael
M
Dellborg
Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Ulf
U
Thilén
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Peder
P
Sörensson
Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Niels-Erik
NE
Nielsen
Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Christina
C
Christersson
Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Bengt
B
Johansson
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult