ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nutritional deficiency is a critical factor in the development and prognosis of heart failure. An optimal diet should be ensured and maintained to manage the symptoms of heart failure. PURPOSE: This study assessed the dietary habits of patients with chronic heart failure using diet quality indices with the goal of determining their nutritional status. METHODS: Forty-four female patients and 56 male patients (mean age: 66 ± 11.38 years) who had been admitted to the cardiology clinics of a university hospital in Istanbul between March 2012 and August 2014 were included in this study. RESULTS: In terms of body mass index, 34% of the participants were normal weight, 37% were overweight, and 21% were obese. Furthermore, this study found the mean daily total energy intake to be inadequate and the total mean score of the Healthy Eating Index to be 74.6 ± 9.32. The diet quality of most participants fell into the "needs improvement" category. CONCLUSIONS: This study used the Healthy Eating Index, a measure developed to assess diet quality, to assess the food consumption patterns of patients with chronic heart failure. The findings support using this index before providing diet recommendations to patients.
Subject(s)
Feeding Behavior/psychology , Heart Failure/psychology , Aged , Body Mass Index , Female , Food Quality , Heart Failure/diet therapy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Aging is a process that has biological, physiological, psychological, sociological and chronological dimensions and can be defined from different directions. The incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, dysrhythmia and heart valve diseases is increasing with age. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in people over 65 years of age. It also causes serious health problems and poses a significant burden on the health care system. Nurses have important responsibilities in the care of the elderly patients with cardiovascular system disease. Appropriate nursing care for elderly patient provides positive contributions to patient care outcomes.
