Nurse-managed education: the effectiveness of secondary prevention after acute coronary syndromes and the prevalence and predictors of dropout from a cardiac rehabilitation programme

INTRODUCTION: Education programmes are now very often used to limit the consequences associated with a steady increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It is important to assess the effectiveness of these programmes and the reasons why people drop out. AIM: To evaluate the effects of intensive education of patients undergoing acute invasive cardiology procedures compared to the control group (patients educated in a classical way). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Randomized trial. Measurements of body weight and body composition: during hospital stay, at 45 and 180 days after acute coronary syndrome. We used a self-prepared questionnaire, LOR-T and a TANITA BC1000 body composition analyser. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 73 patients aged 48 to 89 years. Men constituted 58.9% of the participants. 43.8% of the respondents appeared for a follow-up visit after 45 days, and after 180 days 32.8% came. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), and health condition of the patients did not change significantly during the study. 67.1% of respondents dropped out from the nurse-managed cardiac education programme. People who were in better health, smoking, without comorbidities, having a heart attack, living far from the place of education more often dropped out from follow-up visits. CONCLUSIONS: Patient education proved ineffective. Body weight, BMI, and health condition of the subjects, both at the time of inclusion and during the long-term evaluation, were very unfavourable.