Why do children develop hypertension after coarctation repair? (PARTNER)

Research summary

In coarctation of the aorta, there is a narrowing in the aorta just beyond the branches that supply the head and arms with blood. This prevents the blood from circulating normally in the lower half of the body and can be very serious. The narrowing of the aorta is usually repaired with surgery during early childhood. In the long-term, up to 60% of patients who have had a coarctation repair develop high blood pressure, and this begins in childhood. High blood pressure can cause problems in later life, including strokes (damage to the brain from bleeding or clots) and heart failure (the heart muscle doesn't squeeze and relax properly). We would like to understand why high blood pressure develops by studying children after their operation and following them as they grow up. We will use MRI scans and blood tests to try and understand this. Our hope is to understand the causes of hypertension and that this knowledge will help develop better treatments for high blood pressure and improve the lives of patients with coarctation.

Principal Investigator

Dr Alexander Jones

Contact us

Email: childrensresearch@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

318070