Mitral Valve Prolapse in Young Patients

Role of exercise in the management of cardiovascular disease in children and youth

Most cardiovascular disease in children and youth is the result of congenital anomalies. Surgical techniques for repair of these defects have improved greatly since they were first developed, and a high percentage of patients become healthy, active adults. Less frequently, other types of cardiovascular disease may be acquired sometime after birth. In patients with either congenital or acquired heart disease, there is often some degree of exercise limitation. Appropriately, there is an increasing interest in the use of exercise testing and training in the clinical management of both congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease in children and youth. This review describes the exercise responses of patients with various forms of cardiovascular disease and discusses the use of exercise training to improve the well-being of these children and adolescents.