Life expectancy and quality of life for those born with congenital heart disease (CHD) have greatly improved over the past 3 decades. While representing a great advance for these patients, who have been able to move from childhood to successful adult lives in increasing numbers, this development has resulted in an epidemiological shift and a generation of patients who are at risk of developing chronic multisystem disease in adulthood. Noncardiac complications significantly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of adults with CHD. Reduced survival has been documented in patients with CHD with renal dysfunction, restrictive lung disease, anemia, and cirrhosis. Furthermore, as this population ages, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its risk factors are becoming increasingly prevalent. Disorders of psychosocial and cognitive development are key factors affecting the quality of life of these individuals. It is incumbent on physicians who care for patients with CHD to be mindful of the effects that disease of organs other than the heart may have on the well-being of adults with CHD. Further research is needed to understand how these noncardiac complications may affect the long-term outcome in these patients and what modifiable factors can be targeted for preventive intervention.

在过去的30年中，先天性心脏病（CHD）出生者的预期寿命和生活质量得到了极大的改善。对于这些已经能够从童年到成年的成年人越来越多的患者来说，这是一个巨大的进步，但这种发展导致了流行病学的转变，并使一代有成年后患慢性多系统疾病风险的患者成为一代。非心脏并发症明显增加了成人冠心病的发病率和死亡率。患有肾功能不全，限制性肺病，贫血和肝硬化的冠心病患者的生存率降低。此外，随着人口的老龄化，动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病及其危险因素变得越来越普遍。社会心理和认知发展障碍是影响这些人生活质量的关键因素。照顾CHD患者的医生应注意心脏以外的器官疾病可能对CHD成人的健康产生影响。需要进一步的研究来了解这些非心脏并发症如何影响这些患者的长期预后，以及哪些可改变的因素可以作为预防性干预的目标。