Quality of Life Among Cardiac Patients Following a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme at a Heart Centre in Malaysia

Chau Chung, Chai and Be Kim, Leong and Lin Kiat, Liew and Joanna Varuges, Abraham and Sing Kok, Bong and Sriganes, Nachimuthu (2025) Quality of Life Among Cardiac Patients Following a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme at a Heart Centre in Malaysia. Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology, 32 (4). p. 17. ISSN 2790-6744

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Abstract

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Malaysia, negatively impacting the quality of life (QoL) of cardiac patients. There have been limited local studies on QoL among cardiac patients following cardiac rehabilitation programmes (CRP) in Malaysia. This study aimed to study QoL among cardiac patients following CRP and identify barriers to QoL improvement at Sarawak Heart Centre, Malaysia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study from August 2021 to July 2022 on the medical records of 120 cardiac patients who completed the CRP at Sarawak Heart Centre, analysing their quality of life (QoL) scores. QoL scores were measured using Cantril ' s ladder of life at three time points: upon enrollment into CRP, upon completion of CRP, and one-year post-completion of CRP. Cantril ' s ladder of life is a validated 10-point scale where patients rate their QoL from 0 (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life). A descriptive analysis of the QoL scores was performed using means and standard deviations. To identify barriers to QoL improvement, reasons for non-improvement were asked among those whose QoL did not improve. Results: Demographic data showed that 95.8% of the cardiac patients were male and 4.2% were female. The mean age of the cardiac patients was 56.1 years (Standard Deviation [SD] = 10.3 years). Ethnic distribution included 40.8% Malay, 33.3% Chinese, 25% Indigenous Sarawak, and 0.8% Indian. Diagnoses comprised acute coronary syndrome (85%), stable angina (10.8%), and heart failure (4.2%). Mean QoL scores improved from 5.5 (SD = 1.5) at CRP enrollment (baseline) to 7.1 (SD = 1.1) upon CRP completion (a 29.1% increase from baseline), and further to 7.7 (SD = 0.9) one-year post-CRP completion (a 40.0% increase from baseline). Most cardiac patients (87.5%) showed improved QoL upon completion and one-year post-CRP completion while 12.5% did not. Barriers to QoL improvement included ongoing non-cardiac health issues (40%), work-related stress (26.6%), polypharmacy due to multiple comorbidities (13.3%), personal/family is- sues (13.3%), and financial issues (6.6%). Conclusion: Most cardiac patients had sustained improvements in QoL following the CRP. Addressing identified barriers to QoL improvement through targeted interventions could further optimise QoL outcomes.

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