Lifestyle of Coronary Artery Patients Aged Under and Over 45 Years in Tabriz, Iran: A Comparative Study

Introduction As life expectancy has increased, chronic diseases have posed a substantial health issue. These long-lasting, disabling diseases with incurable pathologies rank the first cause and are responsible for about 60% of mortalities across the world (1). In the past, the focus was to cure diseases, but now, it has been shifted to the prevention, provision, and promotion of health through improving lifestyle and eliminating the factors that have rather adverse effects on human health (2). Chronic diseases are among the major causes of the waste of health funds (3). Examples of chronic diseases are coronary artery diseases (CADs), which are among the most important human health threats (4,5). CAD varies from asymptomatic ischemia to chronic stable angina, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and sudden cardiac death and is the most common cause of hospitalizations (6). In addition, they are the most prevalent cause of mortality in developed and developing countries such that they are estimated to account for 40%-45% of the causes of mortality. Further, they are gaining importance in developing countries where contagious diseases are controllable (7,8). The global burden of such diseases is more on low and intermediate income countries that are responsible for 78% and 86.2% of all deaths and disabilities, respectively (9). More importantly, in recent years, the onset age of developing coronary diseases has had an alarming decrease such that the youth and middleaged constitute a significant number of victims, which is a disaster for families and a heavy burden on the economy (10-12) More than 148 thousand people aged under 65 years old died from CAD in the United States in 2004 (13). The average age of heart attacks is approximately 60, but there has been a greater increase in recent years in the rate of heart attacks in young. Approximately 4 to Abstract Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), especially ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) are one of the most important health-related issues in the world. Lifestyle plays a remarkable role in preventing or developing such diseases. Therefore, given the importance of lifestyle as an influential factor in the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the rise of these diseases in younger ages, the aim of the current research was to investigate and compare various aspects of patients’ lifestyles on developing CAD and subsequently to contrast them with non-affected patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 368 people who were equally divided into four groups of under 45-years-old coronary and non-coronary disease, as well as 45-years and older coronary and non-coronary disease. The participants were selected by means of the convenience sampling method from Madani heart center and Shohada hospital of Tabriz from March to June 2018. Non-coronary and coronary patients were matched in terms of gender and age (±3 years) and data were collected using a 65-item lifestyle questionnaire through interviews. Results: The mean lifestyle scores were obtained as 103.02 ± 12.11, 123.83 ± 10.35, 99.25 ± 0.27, and 129.02 ± 10.65 for under 45-years-old coronary patients and their counterpart control group, as well as 45-years-old and older patients and their counterpart control group, respectively. Based on the results, there was a significant difference between coronary patients and non-coronary groups in both age categories (P < 0.001). Finally, the comparison of the mean lifestyle scores between the under 45-year-old and the 45-year-old and older groups showed that the two groups only had a significant difference in the subscale physical activity and exercise (P < 0.001) and dietary habits (P = 0.009). Conclusions: In general, the risk factors for CAD in both age categories were similar except for lower physical activity and nutrition poorer in 45-yearold individuals. Accordingly, primary and secondary prevention, risk factor control, and promotion of a healthy lifestyle at family and society levels should start from childhood and adolescence.