Effectiveness of an Educational Program on Metabolic Parameters among CHD Patients in Iraq

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) leads to the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries of the heart. Applying an educational program aimed at improving these patients 'physical activity and quality of life, and lessening their risk factors. Objectives: To compare metabolic parameters before and after applying an educational program in patients with CHD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and had metabolic syndrome. Methods: A comparative interventional study using a convenience sample technique was conducted to collect data from 350 patients diagnosed with CHD who were admitted to the Catheterization Unit at Sulaimani Cardiac Hospital, Iraq, from January 2023 to January 2024. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire through direct interviews. Then patients with metabolic syndrome (n=196) were equally divided into a control group (n=98) and an intervention group (n=98). An educational program consisting of 6 scales was applied to the study group for up to 6 months, after which data were collected from patients, analyzed, compared, and interpreted. Results: Most patients had hypertension (54.9%), while 42.8% had diabetes, and 26.6% had dyslipidemia during the last 3 years. Most patients had high waist circumference (WC), triglyceride (TG), and blood pressure (BP), which led to abnormal MetS components among 53.7% patients. Applying an education program in the study group results in a highly significant decrease (p