IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e-ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 2, Issue 4 (Sep. – Oct. 2013), PP 11-17 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 11 | Page Awareness of disease and risk factors among patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Government general hospital Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh Prasuna J. (Mrs.Prasuna J., Nursing Tutor, Himalayan College of Nursing, Dehradun. India) Abstract: Background: Ischemic heart disease among is the most common causes of death and disability in the world. The Indian subcontinent (including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) has among the highest rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) globally. Previous reports have highlighted the high CVD rates among South Asian immigrants living in Western countries, but the enormous CVD burden within the Indian subcontinent itself has been underemphasized. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Government General Hospital, Kurnool. Twenty consecutive patients with documented Ischemic Heart disease admitted in Cardiac Care Unit, and Cardiac Ward were enrolled. Patients were interviewed with structured questionnaire enquiring into their awareness of risk factors for Ischemic Heart disease and their knowledge level regarding disease. To assess knowledge and identify risk factors, an in-depth structured interview was conducted with structured interview questionnaire which included 66 questions. Results: Awareness of risk factors was high for smoking, hypertension, inadequate exercise, stress in family, use of ground nut oil in cooking, A-Type personality and no exercises among patients with ischemic heart disease. A majority 9 (45%) of patients had average level of knowledge regarding risk factors of Ischemic heart disease, whereas 7 (35%) of participants had below average and 4 (20%) had above average level of knowledge. Conclusion: An Indian population in a hospital setting shows a lack of knowledge relating to modifiable risk factors of ischemic heart disease. By segregating demographic predictors of poor knowledge, such as current smokers and persons who do not exercise regularly, educational interventions can be effectively targeted and executed as primary and secondary prevention strategies to reduce the problem of ischemic heart disease in India. Keyword: Ischemic Heart Disease, Risk factors, Awareness. I. Introduction In the 1970s, a method for measuring the quality of medical care through identifying “untimely and unnecessary” deaths was proposed 1 . Many deaths which results from heart disease and stroke can be circumvented through improvements in lifestyle behaviors, treatment of risk factors, and addressing the economic and social conditions that influence the health of individuals and communities. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as tobacco use, inadequate physical activity, poor diet, and excessive alcohol use coupled with uncontrolled hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and obesity account for 80% of ischemic heart disease mortality in high-income countries such as the United States. Hypertension is the single most important risk factor for stroke, and its control is essential to reduce death from stroke 2 . The level of awareness of cardiovascular health modifiers among the Indian population has not been clearly quantified. A lack of cardiovascular health knowledge in the general population in neighboring Pakistan is demonstrated by a study in Karachi that reports limited knowledge of modifiable risk factors of heart disease in patients who had experienced an acute myocardial infarction 3, 4 . Knowledge of the risk factors is an important step in the modification of lifestyle behaviors conducive to optimal cardiovascular health in developing countries 5,6 Diabetes, Dyslipidaemia and Hypertension are leading risk factors for coronary heart disease. Global clinical practice guidelines recommend controlling these risk factors as a management strategy to mitigate the