Background: The assessment of patients’ quality of life has emerged as a critical metric in evaluating healthcare services. Internationally, numerous studies have been conducted to assess the QoL of individuals diagnosed with pulmonary embolism through the development of standardized questionnaires and their association with various clinical parameters. Aim: To adapt a standardized questionnaire for assessing the quality of life following a pulmonary embolism and to evaluate the quality of life of affected patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 33 patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and hospitalized in the Department of Pulmonology at the Third State Central Hospital in Mongolia between August 2022 and December 2023 were included in the study. An observational cross-sectional study design was used. Inclusion criteria encompassed all patients diagnosed with PE during the study period, while exclusion criteria included individuals with severe comorbidities, those aged over 85 years, and those who declined participation. QoL was assessed using the Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life (PEmb-QoL) questionnaire, which consists of 39 questions categorized into six domains. Higher scores indicate poorer QoL. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. Results: The average age of the participants was 61±15 years, and 18 (54.5%) were female. The median duration of anticoagulant therapy was 170 days (range: 27–2555 days), and the average monthly expenditure on medication was 80,000 MNT (range: 63,000–400,000 MNT). The overall mean QoL score was 69.7±23.2. The median scores for the six domains were as follows: frequency of complaints 1.6 (IQR 1.5-1.9; max 5 score), activities of daily living limitations 1.5 (1.3–1.8; max 3 score), work-related problems 1.7 (1.5–2.0; max 2 score), social limitations 2.0 (2.0–3.0; max 5 score), intensity of complaints 3.0 (3.0–4.0; max 6 score), emotional complaints 2.0 (1.5–2.4; max 6 score). The internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire was assessed, with the symptom frequency category scoring well (α=0.74), while the other categories had excellent reliability (α>0.85). A weak positive correlation was observed between overall QoL scores and age, while a weak negative correlation was identified with body mass index (r=0.14 & r= -0.13, P>0.05). Conclusion The study findings indicate a low QoL among PE patients, emphasizing the necessity for enhancements in post-diagnosis medical care and long-term management strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Background: The annual incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism is reported to be 39–115 cases per 100,000 population, with rates of 60–120/100,000 in Western countries and 10–20/100,000 in Asian countries. In Mongolia, few studies revealed the prevalence of risk factors and clinical manifestations of acute pulmonary embolism. Over the past 30 years, the incidence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases, which are mainly triggered by lifestyle and social parameters, has rose. Moreover, environmental conditions such as cold climate, hypoxia, and blood hyperviscosit may contribute to higher incidences of acute pulmonary embolism in high-altitude regions. This condition is potentially fatal and can become impair quality of life. Aim: We aimed to compare risk factors and clinical characteristics based on age and sex, and to evaluate laboratory findings and diagnostic tests among Mongolian patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism. Materials and Methods: This retrospective research included total 232 patients meeting inclusion criteria. The information was collected from patient histories, including general demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, symptoms, and physical examination findings. Laboratory analyses included complete blood count, coagulation profile, and immunological markers (D-dimer, NT-proBNP, troponin, protein C, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein), as well as selected imaging parameters. We used Wells and Geneva scoring systems to assess probability of acute pulmonary embolism and Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index to determine disease severity. Differences by age and sex were analyzed using independent t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Results: Among participants with acute pulmonary embolism, the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use was significantly higher among males (p<0.001). Among comorbidities, arterial hypertension and other pulmonary diseases were more common in males, whereas cardiac diseases were more frequent in females (p=0.028). Participants aged 65 years and older showed higher rates of comorbid conditions and regular medication use (p<0.001). The most common symptoms were dyspnea (90.9%), chest pain (74.2%), cough (70.5%), leg pain (38.9%), hemoptysis (20.7%), and cyanosis (9.3%). According to sPESI scoring, 69.8% (n=162) were at high risk of death within 30 days, with no significant difference by sex. However, mortality risk within 30 days was significantly higher in participants aged 65 years and above (p<0.001). As increasing age, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were elevated, indicating an acute inflammatory response (p=0.001). Contrast-enhanced CT scans revealed that 95 participants (44.2%) had main pulmonary artery involvement, with no significant sex difference, though involvement of the main pulmonary artery was more frequent in those aged 65 and older. Conclusion Dyspnea, chest pain, and cough were the most common symptoms among patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism. The 30-day mortality risk associated with it was higher among males and increased with advancing age.

Introduction : Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) caused at least 43 million deaths in 2021, equivalent to 75% of non-pandemic-related deaths globally. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or at least 19 million deaths in 2021, followed by cancers (10 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4 million), and diabetes (over 2 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes). These four groups of diseases account for 80% of all premature NCD deaths. According to the Fourth National Survey on the Prevalence of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injuries, and Their Risk Factors: 14.0% of adults aged 15–69 have experienced a heart attack or stroke, 11.0% report taking aspirin to prevent or manage cardiovascular disease (CVD), 2.2% use lipid-lowering medications (statins) for CVD prevention or treatment, among adults aged 40–69, 19.3% are at high risk of developing CVD within the next 10 years. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen cardiovascular disease prevention efforts and improve the management of key risk factors in Mongolia. Goal: To determine the population’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cardiovascular disease risk factors and healthy lifestyle behaviors. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 2,532 participants aged 18–69 years from all 21 provinces of Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar city, as part of the “Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Telemedicine in Mongolia” (MON/007) Project. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising six sub-sections, designed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to 10 modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Ethical approval was obtained prior to the study, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: Thirty-three percent of study participants reported having no knowledge of cardiovascular disease, indicating that roughly one in three adults consider themselves to have little or no understanding of cardiovascular health. In the study, 53.0% of participants reported being unaware of the symptoms of a heart attack, while 42.0% did not recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Among participants who could identify these symptoms, 68.0% indicated dizziness as a sign of hypertension, 65.0% reported headache, and 58.0% noted blurred vision. Among the respondents, 31.0% knew that the normal arterial blood pressure for an adult is 120/80 mmHg, 57.0% were aware that an adult should sleep 7–8 hours per day, 13.0% knew about body mass index (BMI), 30.0% were aware of fasting blood glucose levels, and 44.0% recognized that adults should engage in 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Knowledge of key physiological indicators was significantly associated with educational attainment, gender, and age group, with lower levels of awareness observed among participants with lower education, males, and younger adults (p=0.001). The majority of participants (75.0%-96.0%) reported being aware of the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Among the study participants, nine out of ten agreed that maintaining a healthy lifestyle includes regular physical activity, exercising, walking short distances, and understanding that hypertension is harmful and smoking adversely affects the heart. Furthermore, 80–85% reported avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, and 79% believed that cardiovascular disease is preventable. To prevent or reduce obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, 49.0% of participants reported engaging in regular physical activity, while 33.0% reported following a healthy diet. Among all study participants, 61.0% had never checked their cholesterol levels, 49.0% had never measured their blood glucose, and 15.0% had never monitored their blood pressure. Among respondents exhibiting 1–3 common risk factors, the majority were female, aged 25–34 years, living in rural areas or ger districts, with secondary or specialized secondary education, employed in government institutions, and had a normal BMI. In contrast, among those with 7 or more common risk factors, the majority were male, aged 35–44 years, residing in Ulaanbaatar, living in ger districts, and employed in private organizations. Conclusion Most of surveyed participants had sufficient knowledge and positive attitudes toward modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (p=0.001). However, they exhibited inadequate preventive practices related to these risk factors. This indicates the importance of targeted intervention on behavior change to address this gap.