A HOSPITAL BASED EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) among CVDs is the largest killer in the developed world and is rapidly becoming one in the developing countries. CAD is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity and disability with high healthcare costs. CAD is caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that leads to a restriction of blood flow to the heart. Depending on the degree of stenosis (narrowing) and plaque characteristics, patients may experience stable angina (angina pectoris) or remain asymptomatic until a plaque ruptures and thrombosis occurs, causing acute Coronary syndrome. Materials and methods: It was hospital based cross sectional study, conducted at our Hospital over a period of 1 year. Study subjects consisted of old and newly diagnosed CAD cases attending Hospital. Information was collected on a pre-structured, well designed scheduled questionnaire. New and old cases of CAD attending Hospital were included in the study and patients who were unconscious and not giving consent were not included in the study. The subjects were explained with purpose of the study and assured for secrecy and confidentiality of the information which they provided us. It was decided to include 90 study subjects in the study. First case was selected randomly then further every case was selected till 90 study subjects were covered. If any patient did not agree, then the next case was included in the study. Result: The gender influence when studied separately, it was observed that the mean age of the study subjects among females 56.75 ± 2.008 was slightly lower than males 57.68 ± 2.188. Only 11 of the CAD subjects had post graduate education, while only 2 had professional degrees. The majority of smokers and Ex-smoker were males as compared to females. The overall 37 subjects of CAD had hypertension. There were 38 males and 18 females those who had both the comorbid disease (HTN + DM). On the other side 22 patients had no history of co-morbid disease. The majority 31 of study subjects of coronary artery disease were current smokers, followed by 21 Ex-smokers and 38 nonsmokers. The majority of smokers and Ex-smoker were males as compared to females. Conclusion: The findings corroborate existing literature, highlighting gender disparities and urban-rural differences in CAD prevalence and risk factors. This study contributes valuable insights into CAD epidemiology in India, particularly in the North Eastern Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]