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Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of practice guidelines for return to work after acute myocardial infarction when disseminated from a university-based setting to a practice-based setting., Design: Randomized clinical trial., Patients: A total of 187 patients with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction., Intervention: Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 95) or to usual care (n = 92). The intervention consisted of a treadmill test, a counseling session based on the test results, and a consultation letter from a cardiologist to the primary care physician. Individualized recommendations for the timing of return to work, contained in the consultation letter, were based on the patient's risk for recurrent cardiac events., Measurements: Questionnaire, chart review, and a phone interview documented the timing of return to work and the rates of cardiac death, coronary angioplasty, coronary artery surgery, and recurrent myocardial infarction., Results: Median intervals between acute myocardial infarction and return to work were similar in both groups (intervention, 54 days; usual care, 67 days; P greater than 0.2). Among patients without myocardial ischemia, however, the interval was shorter in the intervention group than in the usual care group (38 days compared with 65 days, respectively, P = 0.008). Among patients with myocardial ischemia, intervals were similar in both groups (80 days compared with 76 days, respectively, P greater than 0.2)., Conclusion: Practice guidelines developed in a university-based setting were not as successful in hastening return to work after uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction when tested in a practice-based setting. Physicians' reluctance to follow guidelines for patients with myocardial ischemia reflected their concern with prognosis even though medical outcome was good.

Study Objective: To determine the effect of a nurse-managed intervention for smoking cessation in patients who have had a myocardial infarction., Design: Randomized, with a 6-month treatment period and a 6-month follow-up., Setting: Kaiser Foundation hospitals in Redwood City, Santa Clara, Hayward, and San Jose, California., Patients: Sequential sample of 173 patients, 70 years of age or younger, who were smoking before hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction. Eighty-six patients were randomly assigned to the intervention and 87 to usual care; 130 patients (75%) completed the study and were available for follow-up., Intervention: Nurse-managed and focused on preventing relapse to smoking, the intervention was initiated in the hospital and maintained thereafter primarily through telephone contact. Patients were given an 18-page manual that emphasized how to identify and cope with high-risk situations for smoking relapse., Measurements and Main Results: One year after myocardial infarction, the smoking cessation rate, verified biochemically, was 71% in the intervention group compared with 45% in the usual care group, a 26% difference (95% CI, 9.5% to 42.6%). Assuming that all surviving patients lost to follow-up were smoking, the 12-month smoking cessation rate was 61% in the intervention group compared with 32% in the usual care group, a 29% difference (95% CI, 14.5% to 43.5%). Patients who either resumed smoking within 3 weeks after infarction or expressed little intention of stopping in the hospital were unlikely to have stopped by 12 months., Conclusions: A nurse-managed smoking cessation intervention largely conducted by telephone, initiated in the hospital, and focused on relapse prevention can significantly reduce smoking rates at 12 months in patients who have had a myocardial infarction.

To determine if an occupational work evaluation could shorten the time to return to work, 201 employed men aged 49 +/- 7 years who were recovering from uncomplicated myocardial infarction were randomized to usual care (n = 102) or to an occupational work evaluation (n = 99). The occupational work evaluation consisted of a symptom-limited treadmill test performed 23 +/- 3 days after myocardial infarction and a formal recommendation to the patient and primary physician that the patient return to work within the next two weeks. The groups did not differ in age, medical status, comorbid disease, occupation type, or years on the job. At six months, 92% of patients receiving the intervention and 88% of patients receiving usual care were working either full- or part-time. Return to full-time work occurred at a median of 51 days in patients receiving the intervention and 75 days in patients receiving usual care. This 32% reduction in the convalescence period was associated with +2102 of additional earned salary per intervention patient in the six months after myocardial infarction. One or more recurrent cardiac events occurred in 14 intervention patients (one death, one nonfatal myocardial infarction, three angioplasties, and nine coronary surgeries) and in 13 usual-care patients (two deaths, three nonfatal myocardial infarctions, six angioplasties, and seven coronary surgeries) in the six months after myocardial infarction. The early return to work of low-risk patients based on an occupational work evaluation is associated with important economic benefits.

To determine the influence of exercise training on smoking after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), smoking rates in 42 pre-AMI smokers assigned to exercise training were compared with 26 pre-AMI smokers assigned to no training. Exercise training occurred 3-26 weeks after AMI. The increase in functional capacity in 3-26 weeks was significantly greater in training than in no-training patients: 1.8 vs. 1.2 METs respectively (p less than 0.05). Adherence to exercise training was higher in non-smokers and former smokers than in those who continued to smoke: 89% and 88% vs. 80% respectively (NS). The prevalence of smoking 6 months post-AMI was lower in training than in no-training patients: 31% vs. 39% respectively (NS). Plasma thiocyanates collected on a random sample of 42 patients suggested that 19% of patients who are smoking after MI fail to report doing so. Self-reported cigarette consumption at 28 weeks was half as great in training as in no-training patients: 11 +/- 7 vs. 22 +/- 16 cigarettes per day (p less than 0.03). Firm advice to stop smoking followed by medically supervised exercise training with frequent followup reduces self-reported cigarette consumption in patients after AMI.

To determine the effects of exercise training programs on psychosocial improvement in uncomplicated postmyocardial infarction patients, 210 male patients hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction (MI) were randomized to three week symptom limited treadmill (TM) plus home exercise training, TM plus medically supervised gym training, TM without formal exercise program or control, where patients were seen only at six months post MI. Patients in this sample were at low risk for psychosocial disturbance (13% were moderate to severely depressed, 23% reported marital disturbance and 3% were extremely anxious). Patients in the training groups improved from 3 to 26 weeks post MI on all depression and anxiety measures. The gym training group showed a significant reduction on one depression measure compared to no training and on one anxiety measure compared to controls.