Perfil dos pacientes em uso de psicofárrnacos em um ambulatório de cardiologia de um hospital universitário.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Mental disorders have become a significant global public health issue due to their high prevalence and increasing trend in recent years. Psychotropic drugs act on the central nervous system and play an important role in treating these conditions, with some drug classes being among the most used in primary care. In this context, several studies have addressed the use of such medications in different populations, and further investigations in other groups are considered relevant. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the sociodemographic, clinical, pharmacological, and lifestyle profile of patients using psychotropic drugs treated at the cardiology outpatient clinic of a university hospital. METHOD: This is a documentary and retrospective study based on data collected in 2022 from medical records of patients treated at the cardiology outpatient clinic between 2019 and 2021. The study included records of patients of both sexes, aged 18 years or older, who reported using at least one psychotropic drug. Data were processed using Google Sheets and Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: A total of 176 records were selected. Most patients (61.4%) were residents of Cajazeiras, with an average age of 52.3 years; 80.1% were female, more than half self-identified as mixed race, and nearly half were married with incomplete elementary education. Most denied smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. A wide range of comorbidities was observed, with 55.1% having psychiatric disorders, 40.4% hypertension, and 13.1% diabetes. In addition to preoperative consultations (44.3%), 11.9% of patients were seen for chest pain. Antidepressants represented 47.7% of psychotropic drugs used, and 42.6% of participants were on polypharmacy. Cardiovascular diseases were significantly associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: The findings show that most psychotropic drug users treated at the cardiology outpatient clinic were middle-aged, low-educated, sedentary women with multiple comorbidities—especially anxiety and hypertension—who mostly used antidepressants and various other medications. Chest pain was the most frequent complaint after preoperative consultations. An association between cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders was also identified. Further studies are necessary to provide more robust conclusions on this subject.