Physical Activity Is Associated With Better Vascular Function in Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Aortic stiffness is an important marker of cardiovascular risk and is elevated in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) compared with healthy children; however, in children with CHD, little is known about the interaction between aortic stiffness and physical activity-a key determinant of aortic stiffness.

Methods: For this cross-sectional cohort study, we recruited children and adolescents aged 9-16 years with moderate-to-complex CHD from British Columbia Children's Hospital and travelling partnership clinics across the province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. Mean daily minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were objectively assessed using an ActiGraph accelerometer worn over the right hip during waking hours for 7 days.