Sick leave and a smoking ban

Abstract

This editorial refers to ‘Influence of high cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic people on the duration and cost of non-cardiovascular sick leave: results of the ICARIA study’, by E. Calvo-Bonacho et al ., doi:10.1093/eurheartj/eht156 Numerous research projects have been performed during the last decades with the aim to improve the outcome of acute coronary syndrome. Much less effort has been put into optimizinmg the follow-up procedure after an acute life-threatening event such as myocardial infarction. Short- and long-term sickness absence after an acute myocardial infarction is associated with substantial costs for society. We also know that a long sickness absence makes it more difficult for the patient to return to work. There are no clear guidelines as regards the optimal duration and degree of sick leave with this condition, and scientific data guiding doctors are extremely sparse. Furthermore, sick listing practices for heart patients vary considerably among countries. This may be due to various factors, e.g. different sickness insurance systems, labour market conditions, and sick listing traditions among physicians. In Finland and Sweden, about half of patients were available to the labour market 2 years after a myocardial infarction.1,2 Sick leave is used daily by many practitioners. The measure is very costly for society and for most individuals as well. Sickness absence is a complex phenomenon. The three major disease groups in both long-term sick leave and early retirement are musculoskeletal diseases, psychiatric diseases, and cardiovascular (CV) diseases, and the occurrence and course can be influenced by a range of factors, such as age, gender, demographics, physical and mental health, type of work, and personal and organizational factors. Despite widespread consequences of sickness absence, scientific research in this area is quite scarce, partly theoretical, and conceptually …