[ELDERLY CARDIAC PATIENTS: SELF-REPORTED HEALTH STATUS]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Advancements in medical science are increasing the eligibility of elderly patients for open-heart surgery.
• Elderly individuals represent a unique demographic undergoing cardiovascular interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery perceive their own health status.
• To identify key factors influencing the self-assessment of health in this patient group.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 107 patients post-cardiac surgery at the A. N. Bakulev National Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery.
• Patient health status was evaluated using a cardiologist-administered questionnaire focused on self-perception.
• Data were statistically analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and Statistica v. 6.0.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (63.6%) of elderly cardiac patients reported a satisfactory health status.
• No correlation was observed between self-assessed health and educational attainment.
• Patients averaged 3.7 ± 1.8 chronic diseases; obesity prevalence was higher in women (68.8%) than men (29.4%).
• Body mass index correlated with the number of chronic diseases (r = 0.42) but not with self-reported health status.

Conclusions:

• Elderly patients generally experience rapid recovery after cardiac surgery.
• Women may exhibit a slower recovery trajectory due to a higher burden of associated pathologies.
• Advanced age is not an absolute contraindication for cardiac surgery.
• Elderly patients' self-assessment of health status appears independent of common risk factors.