Congenital Heart Disease in High School and College Students

Abstract

The prevalence and relative frequency of congenital heart disease in high school and college students were investigated during the period April 1970-March 1976. Forty congenital lesions were found among 13, 127 subjects which shows a rate of 3 per thousand. The ratio of congenital lesion to rheumatic heart disease was 4/1. Ventricular septal defect was the most common defect, found in 30% of all lesions followed by atrial septal defect (20%) and patent ductus arteriosus (17.5%). The prevalence and relative frequency in those investigated differed only slightly from the results obtained among children. The possibility of spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defect during adulthood strongly suggested itself when compared with our previous data on post middle age subjects.