Assessment of Nutritional Status in Coronary Artery Disease Patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Multi-Center Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a major cause of illness and death, caused by the narrowing of coronary arteries. Proper nutrition is essential for managing CAD, as malnutrition can worsen the condition and impair recovery. Assessing nutritional status is key to improving health outcomes in CAD patients.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, concentrating on determining the variables linked to the risk of malnutrition.

Material and Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in KPK in Mardan Medical Complex, Bacha Khan Medical Complex Swabi and LRH Peshawar from July 2024 to December 2024 using a convenient sampling technique to include 362 CAD patients with ages ranging from 20 to 91 years. MNA questionnaire was used to collect data. Using SPSS version 22, to analysis the data. Mean and standard deviation were determined for age using descriptive statistics, and frequency and percentages were determined for categorical variable.

Results: A total 362 coronary artery disease patients having, minimum age was 20 years and maximum was 91 years the mean age of the participants was 58.1 ±14.1 years. Of the total sample, 187 patients were male, and 175 patients. The mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 25.9 ±8.2. Employment status showed 64% unemployed, 32.8% employed, 4.1% retired, and 1.7% students. Regarding income, 83.4% had low, 13% middle, and 3.6% high income. CAD duration was under a year for 59.4%, 1-5 years for 23.8%, and over 5 years for 16.9%. Of the patients, 60.5% had lost more than 3 kg, and 42.8% experienced stress/acute disease. The results indicated that 11.3% of patients were malnourished, 54.4% were at risk of malnutrition, and 34.3% had acceptable nutritional status

Conclusion: This study emphasizes how common malnutrition risk is among CAD patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Given that more than half of the participants were either malnourished or at risk, the results emphasize the critical need for targeted nutritional interventions and support to enhance health outcomes and avoid the consequences linked to undernutrition in this population.