"Nutrition Education by Nurses in Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Effect on Patients' Dietary Pattern, Adherence and Clinical Outcomes"

Introduction Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, leading to approximately 18 million deaths annually. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is the surgical treatment of coronary artery disease, which improves patients' symptoms and quality of life. However, successful postoperative recovery requires the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition. Research shows that a diet high in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat can improve the metabolic profile and cardiovascular function, reducing morbidity and potential complications. In addition, a balanced diet contributes to improving mental health and well-being, reducing anxiety and the occurrence of cognitive disorders such as postoperative delirium. Therefore, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern is crucial for the long-term management of the disease and the successful recovery of cardiac surgery patients.

Methodology A clinical study will be conducted with manipulation of independent variables and creation of a control group. Patients will be approached and randomly assigned to two groups: a) the control group (Group A), where patients will receive standard care based on the policy and protocols of the Tertiary Hospitals and b) the Intervention Group (Group B), where patients will receive nurse-led education through oral sessions, provision of an educational form and telephone calls at regular intervals.

The Greek versions of the Mediterranean Diet Screener (MEDAS), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Nottingham Health Profile Scale questionnaires, while translation and weighting will be carried out in the Greek population for the Cardiovascular Diet Questionnaire 2 (CDQ-2). The above aims to assess patients' compliance with specific dietary habits, while the latter concerns primarily cardiac patients. Questionnaires will be completed by all patients at the initial meeting and after 1, 3 and 6 months. Training and objective measurements will be performed only on patients in the intervention group. The statistical analysis of the data will be done with the SPSS program (version 26) and using descriptive and inductive statistical analysis methods.

Expected Results The proposed thesis aims to highlight the importance of nurse-led nutrition education in the care of patients after CABG. Education, through a variety of formats such as oral sessions, printed materials, home visits and telephone calls, is expected to improve patient outcomes, reducing the chances of hospital readmissions and improving their quality of life. In addition, it is expected to strengthen their adherence to healthy eating habits, contributing to the secondary and tertiary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Inclusion criteria

• Age over 18 years
• Patients who underwent CABG and were discharged from the hospital in the previous 10 days
• Knowledge of reading and writing in Greek by the patients
• Provision of written informed consent by the patients for their participation in the study

Exclusion criteria

• History of psychiatric illness, recent history of alcohol and/or drug abuse, dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Patients with comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, other gastrointestinal disorders, food allergies, etc.) that would justify the adoption of a special dietary pattern that is not identical to the proposed dietary pattern
• Patients with a preference for strict vegetarianism (vegan) and/or cultural-religious beliefs that do not allow the adoption of the proposed dietary pattern