Acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Eric Boersma and colleagues have highlighted the challenge of effective implementation of preventive action in treatment of survivors of acute myocardial infarction.1Boersma E Mercado N Poldermans D Gardien M Vos J Simoons ML Acute myocardial infarction.Lancet. 2003; 361: 847-858Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (267) Google Scholar Although their comprehensive work refers to secondary prevention measures, including use of prophylactic drugs, they fail to identify the importance of cardiac rehabilitation or how long-term treatment schedules might be implemented.The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in patients who survive a heart attack have been confirmed in a Cochrane review.2Jolliffe JA Rees K Taylor RS Thompson D Oldridge N Ebrahim S Exercise-based rehabilitation for coronary heart disease (Cochrane Review).The Cochrane Library. 2003; 1 (AB001800)Google Scholar Growing evidence shows the benefits of nurse-led clinics in patients with coronary heart disease.3Campbell NC Ritchie LD Thain J Deans HG Rawles JM Squair JL Secondary prevention in coronary heart disease: a randomised trial of nurse led clinics in primary care.Heart. 1998; 80: 447-452Crossref PubMed Scopus (210) Google Scholar Our experience is that when such primary-care-based clinics are integrated with cardiac rehabilitation programmes, it is possible to achieve improvements in secondary prevention outcome measures4Dalal HM Evans PH Achieving national service framework standards for cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention.BMJ. 2003; 326: 481-484Crossref PubMed Scopus (67) Google Scholar advocated by EUROASPIRE II.5EUROASPIRE II study groupLifestyle and risk factor management and use of drug therapies in coronary patients from 15 countries.Eur Heart J. 2001; 22: 554-572Crossref PubMed Scopus (936) Google Scholar Eric Boersma and colleagues have highlighted the challenge of effective implementation of preventive action in treatment of survivors of acute myocardial infarction.1Boersma E Mercado N Poldermans D Gardien M Vos J Simoons ML Acute myocardial infarction.Lancet. 2003; 361: 847-858Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (267) Google Scholar Although their comprehensive work refers to secondary prevention measures, including use of prophylactic drugs, they fail to identify the importance of cardiac rehabilitation or how long-term treatment schedules might be implemented. The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in patients who survive a heart attack have been confirmed in a Cochrane review.2Jolliffe JA Rees K Taylor RS Thompson D Oldridge N Ebrahim S Exercise-based rehabilitation for coronary heart disease (Cochrane Review).The Cochrane Library. 2003; 1 (AB001800)Google Scholar Growing evidence shows the benefits of nurse-led clinics in patients with coronary heart disease.3Campbell NC Ritchie LD Thain J Deans HG Rawles JM Squair JL Secondary prevention in coronary heart disease: a randomised trial of nurse led clinics in primary care.Heart. 1998; 80: 447-452Crossref PubMed Scopus (210) Google Scholar Our experience is that when such primary-care-based clinics are integrated with cardiac rehabilitation programmes, it is possible to achieve improvements in secondary prevention outcome measures4Dalal HM Evans PH Achieving national service framework standards for cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention.BMJ. 2003; 326: 481-484Crossref PubMed Scopus (67) Google Scholar advocated by EUROASPIRE II.5EUROASPIRE II study groupLifestyle and risk factor management and use of drug therapies in coronary patients from 15 countries.Eur Heart J. 2001; 22: 554-572Crossref PubMed Scopus (936) Google Scholar