Lifestyle and angina in the elderly following elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery

This Roy Adaptation Model based study was designed to explore the relationship between the focal stimulus of lifestyle and the physiological mode response of angina. The dimensions of lifestyle that were examined in this study were work, activity, aspirin use, low cholesterol and low fat diet, weight, smoking, and exercise (participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program). Subjects were patients in a private cardiothoracic surgical practice. The sample was made up of 166 men and women 65 years of age and older one year after elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Data were collected by chart review. The findings of the study revealed that 13 (7.8%) subjects, 17 (10.2%) subjects, and 20 (12.0%) subjects experienced angina at 4, 8, and 12 months after CABG surgery, respectively. Six (3.6%) of these subjects experienced angina at all three time intervals. Twice as many women as men experienced angina at some time within the first 12 months post-CABG surgery. Most subjects who experienced angina during the year following CABG surgery were retired, reported their activity as take it easy, took aspirin, followed a low cholesterol and low fat diet, weighed between 100 and 150 pounds, lost weight, and did not smoke tobacco products. Approximately one-third to one-half of the patients with angina participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program at 4, 8, or 12 months after CABG surgery. Logistic regression revealed that 12 months after CABG surgery, subjects who smoked tobacco products had a 22.62 probability of having angina and that subjects who reported that they were not fully active had a.44 probability of having angina. Correlational analyses revealed weak relationships between the Roy model contextual stimulus of number of veins used for CABG surgery and angina, and the Roy model contextual stimulus of number of sequential vein grafts used for CABG surgery and angina. The study findings provide support for the Roy Adaptation Model that selected stimuli are related to the physiological mode response. Most subjects with angina post-CABG surgery followed the prescribed lifestyle. Smoking tobacco products and being less than fully active were significant predictors of angina 12 months post-CABG surgery