AEROBIC AND MUSCULAR RESPONSE IN SARCOPENIC YOUNG CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE PATIENTS

https://youtu.be/aQt0jd8JaV4 INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia, characterized as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is well described in older adults but not in pediatric and young adult populations. Individuals with congenital or acquired heart disease may be susceptible to sarcopenia due to chronic illness, reduced physical activity, and impaired exercise capacity. The purpose of this abstract is to investigate associations between sarcopenia and aerobic and muscular performance in pediatric and young adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Using the frailty score developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, we categorized sarcopenia by analyzing the patient’s muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle function. CHD patients who were two standard deviations below the reference values for each variable were considered sarcopenic (SAR-CHD). Eighteen patients in our six-minute walk test (6MWT) database were identified as sarcopenic and constituted the SAR-CHD group. Each of these patients were matched according to gender, age, and height with another CHD patient not labeled as sarcopenic in the same database (Con-CHD). Diagnostic category frequencies were similar in both groups with the most common diagnoses being post-heart transplant, post-Fontan procedure, and pulmonary hypertension. Both SAR-CHD and Con-CAH groups performed a 6MWT. A sub-group participated in cardiac rehabilitation, and baseline muscular performance was evaluated (7 SAR-CHD and 11 Con-CHD). Comparisons between groups were performed with the Student’s t-test, and significance was set as p