Predictors of blood pressure and hypertension long-term after treatment of isolated coarctation of the aorta in children—a population-based study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess predictors of BP and hypertension and relations between BP and LV mass in a population-based retrospective study of repaired isolated coarctation of aorta. METHODS: We collected follow-up data until 2018 of 284/304 (93%) patients with coarctation treated by surgery (n = 235) or balloon angioplasty/stent (n = 37/12) in our unit 2000–2012. Systolic hypertension was defined as systolic BP (SBP) z-score ≥+2 standard deviation (SD) or regular use of BP medication. LV hypertrophy was defined as LV mass z-score ≥+2 SD or LV mass index g/m(2.7) ≥95th percentile. RESULTS: The median (25–75th percentiles) follow-up time and age at follow-up were 9.7 years (6.9–13.2) and 11.8 years (7.9–16.0), respectively. Age at first procedure (P = 0.011) and systolic arm-leg-gradient (P = 0.007) were positively and transverse arch (P = 0.007) and isthmus diameter (P = 0.001) z-scores at follow-up were negatively associated with SBP z-score adjusted for age at follow-up and need for reintervention for coarctation. Systolic hypertension was present in 53/284 (18.7%) and related with increasing age at first procedure (median 33.2 vs 0.6 months; P < 0.001) and arm-leg-gradient at follow-up (mean ± SD, −0.3 ± 14.6 vs −6.4 ± 11.6 mmHg; P = 0.047) adjusted for reintervention for coarctation and age at follow-up. LV hypertrophy was present in 20/227 (9.3%) and related with SBP z-score. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SBP and hypertension in repaired coarctation of aorta are related with increasing age at first procedure and arm-leg-gradient at follow-up. Transverse arch and isthmus diameters at follow-up are inversely related with SBP.