Heart attack patients with the desire to return to work can do it.
Heart attack patients with the desire to return to work can do it. That’s the main message of a paper published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
“Patients who believe they can still do their job and want to go back will make a success of it,” said lead author Dr Rona Reibis, of the University of Potsdam, Germany. “After a heart attack it is very rare for patients to be physically unable to perform their previous duties, including heavy work.”
Between 67% and 93% of patients with acute coronary syndromes – which include heart attack and unstable angina (chest pain) – return to work in two to three months. But after a year, one in four quit. Among those over 55, women are less likely to go back to employment than men. This paper outlines the reasons and gives practical advice on how to successfully reintegrate into the workplace.
The probability of returning to work depends mainly on the patient’s decision – do they want to go back or not? Next are psychological factors, with lack of confidence, depression and anxiety all predicting failure to return. The patient’s medical condition combined with the type of work can also have an impact. Blue collar workers may struggle if they have heart failure, rhythm instability, or ischaemia which reduce physical performance. Those with implanted cardiac devices might need to avoid workplaces with electrical fields.
Read more at European Society of Cardiology
Photo credit: stevepb via Pixabay
