The quality of life among coronary heart disease patients at a teaching hospital

Background and Aims: Quality of life after acute coronary heart disease amongst patients is important outcome factor in deliberations of patient's care. The main aim of the study was to examine the quality of life amongst acute CHD patients. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted after an acute attack amongst coronary heart disease (CHD) patients in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). The Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36) comprised of 36 items used to measure quality of life which comprised of 4 domains of physical component summary were physical function, role physical, bodily pain, and general health and 4 domains of mental component summary were vitality, social function, emotional role, and mental health. A total of 108 respondents were recruited for this study. Results: The findings showed that CHD. Respondents possessed good level of quality of life with total score of (59 ± 22). The total score of physical domain had mean and SD of 56 ± 24, while the total scores of the mental domain had mean and SD of 62 ± 27. There were significant differences between the general health components of quality of life with educational status of the CHD patients with (F= 5.433, p <0.05). There were significant differences in role physical components of quality of life with income (F= 3.144, p<0.05). Conclusion: The cardiac rehabilitation program would have deliberately improved their needs and conditions whilst hospitalization. These results have implications in which CHD patients should be evaluated with regard to their continuity of care.