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Brazilian Journal of Clinical Medicine and Review

Special Issue: Health Research in Sub-Saharan Africa

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): January/December - 2026

Lifestyle of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease Followed at the Outpatient Clinic of a Referral Hospital in Luanda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.52600/2965-0968.bjcmr.2026.4.1.bjcmr51
Submitted
August 14, 2025
Published
2026-01-20

Abstract

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and has an increasing impact in low- and middle-income countries. In Angola, scientific production addressing the clinical and behavioral profile of these patients remains limited, particularly in outpatient settings. This study aimed to exploratorily assess the lifestyle of patients with IHD followed at the outpatient clinic of a referral hospital in Luanda during the first quarter of 2025. A cross-sectional, descriptive, mixed-methods study was conducted at the Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento Cardiopulmonary Disease Hospital Complex, including 27 patients selected by convenience sampling. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the FANTASTIC Lifestyle Questionnaire were applied. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0, employing descriptive statistics. The mean age was 64.2 years, with a predominance of males (66.7%). Most participants had low educational attainment and a monthly income below 50,000 Kz. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity (88.9%). Lifestyle was classified as fair in 52% of cases, good in 41%, very good in 4%, and “needs improvement” in 3%. The lowest scores were observed in the physical activity and work domains, whereas the tobacco and toxic substances domain showed higher scores, reflecting a more favorable profile in this aspect. Given the small sample size and descriptive design, the results should be interpreted with caution and considered preliminary findings that highlight priority areas for future research and health interventions.

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