Objective: This study systematically reviewed research examining the quality of life and influencing factors in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Method: This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Ulakbim Turkish Medical Index, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases with the keywords: “cardiac surgery,” “quality of life,” “elderly,” “older,” and “geriatric.” The review included studies published between 2015 and 2025 that investigated the quality of life of elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Results: Sixteen studies were included after full-text review. The majority of the studies (n = 7) were prospective cohort studies, while four were prospective randomized controlled trials. The remaining studies were comparative (n = 2), case-control (n = 1), descriptive (n = 1), and retrospective cohort (n = 1). The included studies comprised a total of 4,242 patients. The smallest sample size was 46, while the largest was 1,706.

Conclusion: The reviewed studies emphasize that quality of life improves in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative period. Furthermore, numerous factors have been shown to be associated with quality of life, including age, gender, frailty, chronic pain, medication use, cognitive status, education, and surgical technique or method.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the acute effects of cigarette smoking on blood pressure and heart rate in university students.

Method: The study was conducted between April 20, 2023, and August 15, 2023, with students enrolled at a state university in Istanbul. Data were collected using the Student Information Form, the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test, and blood pressure and heart rate measurements. Descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests were used in the analysis.

Results: Of the participants, 50.8% were female, 98.1% were single, and the mean age was 22.81 ± 1.56 years. Among the students, 62.9% had been smoking for 1–5 years, and 62.5% reported smoking 11–20 cigarettes per day. The mean nicotine dependence score was 4.87 ± 1.83. It was found that 22% had low, 58.3% had moderate, and 19.7% had high levels of nicotine dependence. Post-test systolic blood pressure (t(263) = -15.211; P < 0.001; d = 0.29), post-test diastolic blood pressure (t(263) = -12.054; P < 0.001; d = 0.31), and post-test heart rate (t(263) = -18.245; P < 0.001; d = 0.46) were significantly higher than the pre-test values.

Conclusion: In this study, university students were found to have a moderate level of nicotine dependence. Heart rate, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher after smoking compared to before smoking. Regular smoking may lead to elevated blood pressure and heart rate, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between blood pressure awareness, insight, and self-efficacy in individuals with hypertension.

Method: This descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December 2024. A total of 250 individuals diagnosed with hypertension, registered at a family health center, and meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Data were collected using a demographic information form, the Blood Pressure Awareness and Insight Scale (BASIS), and the Hypertension Self-Efficacy Scale.

Results: The mean age of participants was 52.07 ± 8.89 years, with 34.8% having been diagnosed with hypertension for 1 to 5 years. Among participants, 54.8% were female, and 48.8% were primary school graduates. Additionally, 49.6% were overweight (BMI: 28.34 ± 4.99). Blood pressure readings exceeded 140/90 mmHg in 43.6% of participants. Furthermore, 24.4% reported smoking, 12.0% consumed alcohol, and 45.2% had comorbidities. The mean total BASIS score was 7.68 ± 1.47, while the mean total score for hypertension self-efficacy was 64.67 ± 10.32. A strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation was found between self-efficacy scores and BASIS scores (r = 0.639; P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Individuals with hypertension demonstrated high levels of blood pressure awareness and insight, and their self-efficacy levels were above moderate. Increased awareness and insight into blood pressure were significantly associated with higher levels of hypertension self-efficacy.

Objective: Nurses who work as part of a multidisciplinary team caring for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are required to have sufficient and accurate knowledge regarding CIEDs. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of a scale designed to measure nurses’ CIED-related knowledge.

Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 202 nurses who care for cardiovascular patients across four hospitals. The scale’s reliability was evaluated using the Kuder–Richardson 20 (KR-20) reliability coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient, and corrected item–total correlation analysis. Validity was assessed through the content validity index (CVI), predictive validity, and item discrimination index.

Results: Reliability analyses indicated that both the KR-20 reliability coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient demonstrated good reliability. Two items with correlation coefficients below 0.20 were removed. The scale-level CVI was 0.99. The item discrimination power ranged from poor to excellent. According to the predictive validity analysis, the type of ward on which nurses worked and the length of experience in the current ward predicted the total score, whereas education level did not.

Conclusion: The scale was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nurses’ CIED-related knowledge in daily practice.

Objective: It is important to assess patients' knowledge and learning needs regarding atrial fibrillation (AF) and its management to minimize the risks associated with the disease. To date, the psychometric properties of the Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge Scale (AFKS) have only been tested in a Chinese-speaking sample. However, a validated and comprehensive tool for use among Turkish patients with AF has not yet been developed. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the AFKS in a Turkish population of patients with AF.

Method: This study was a cross-cultural adaptation of the AFKS to evaluate its psychometric properties in a Turkish population diagnosed with AF, in accordance with the methodology and recommendations of the International Commission on Testing.

Results: A total of 210 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 62.25 ± 9.30 years, and the mean duration of the disease was 2.99 ± 1.70 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results showed that the four factors identified in the original scale were validated in Turkish patients with AF. The CFA findings demonstrated that the factor loadings of the model indicated strong and significant associations between the items and the relevant factors (P < 0.001 for all items). The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was 0.88. A positive, moderate correlation (r = 0.48, P < 0.001) was found between the AFKS and the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-life Questionnaire.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the scale is valid and reliable for use in Turkish patients with AF.

Objective: This systematic review was conducted to determine the effects of yoga on quality of life in heart failure patients.

Method: The systematic review protocol and writing of the article were prepared based on PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) criteria. In this systematic review, the literature search was conducted in the “PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library” databases without any year limitation. Studies whose inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined according to the PICOS method were included in the review. All studies reached were examined in terms of inclusion criteria and the obtained data were interpreted by two independent researchers. The quality of the studies included in the review was assessed by two independent researchers according to the checklist for randomised controlled trials developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

Results: Five randomized controlled trials with a total of 251 participants were included in this systematic review. In the majority of the studies included in the review, it was determined that yoga improves the quality of life in heart failure patients. It was determined that hatha yoga was applied in all of the studies. In the included studies, the frequency of yoga practice was determined to vary between 2-7 days per week and the duration of practice was determined to vary between 60-70 minutes per session for 8-12 weeks.

Conclusion: In the studies examined, it was seen that yoga had a positive effect on the quality of life in patients with heart failure. However, given the methodological limitations of existing studies, high-quality studies with larger sample groups are needed to support the findings.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate Type-D personality, perceived social support, and psychological status in patients with coronary artery disease.

Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted between May 2023 and January 2024 with 251 patients admitted to the cardiology departments of a Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected using the Type-D Personality Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21).

Results: The average age of the participants was 61.48 ± 13.45 years. Of the patients, 55% had a previous myocardial infarction (MI), and 64.5% had additional chronic diseases. The mean scores for the total and subscales of the Type-D Personality Scale (Negative Affection, Social Introversion) were 11.81 ± 5.45, 11.01 ± 5.44, and 12.61 ± 5.46, respectively. The mean score for the MSPSS was 73.93 ± 9.79. The average scores for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress were 5.23 ± 3.06, 7.68 ± 3.88, and 7.4 ± 3.43, respectively. A significant negative relationship was found between Negative Affection and Social Introversion and support from private persons, family support, and support from friends, as well as the overall MSPSS score. A significant positive relationship was observed between Negative Affection and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.

Conclusion: Most patients exhibited a Type-D personality. Perceived social support levels, as well as depression and anxiety levels, were high. Type-D personality negatively affected the perception of social support. Additionally, it was found that Type-D personality traits increased depression, anxiety, and stress scores.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze articles related to cardiac surgery and anxiety using bibliometric approaches and techniques.

Method: This descriptive bibliometric study was conducted using the Web of Science database, covering the years 1980 to 2024. Relevant publications were identified using keywords such as "cardiac surgery," "heart surgery," "coronary artery bypass graft," "heart valve surgery," "coronary artery bypass," "cardiothoracic surgery," and "anxiety." Data were collected on December 17, 2024, and analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.20 software to visualize research trends, collaborations, and keyword relationships.

Results: A total of 1,176 publications were included, comprising 1,034 research articles and 142 review papers. The volume of publications has increased significantly over time, peaking in 2022. The United States emerged as the leading contributor (n = 249), followed by Iran and Australia. The most prominent research areas were cardiovascular systems, cardiology, and nursing. The most frequently used keywords included "anxiety," "depression," and "cardiac surgery." Leading journals publishing in this field included Heart & Lung, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, and Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Conclusion: While anxiety in cardiac surgery has been a long-standing topic of study, it remains highly relevant. Nurses play a critical role in addressing anxiety in this context. Multidisciplinary interventional studies are recommended to advance the field further.