Journal international de recherche cardiovasculaire

Cardiovascular disease occur more often in children than is usually appreciated by health care professionals or the overall public

James Anderson

During the past half century there has been major progress within the scientific understanding of cardiovascular conditions in children and youth, and this progress has led to improved prevention and treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease. Following this period of advancement, the current status of our understanding should be reviewed to create a foundation for future scientific efforts. Cardiovascular disease occur more often in children than is usually appreciated by health care professionals or the overall public. More than 600,000 children in the US have an abnormality of the cardiovascular system; approximately 440,000 have a cardiac malformation, an estimated 160 000 have a disturbance of heart rhythm or conduction, and 40,000 have an acquired disease like cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart condition or Kawasaki disease.