In Sweden almost all patients are invited to a heart attack, the "Heart-Schule" to visit. There you are taught what you can do for a (heart-)healthy life. In comparison to patients who did not participate in the training, give the participants a clear survival advantage.
Swedish patients after a first heart attack, the "Heart-Schule" visited, lived longer than non-participating patients: researchers from the University of Uppsala have found that the risk of dying of heart school participants in the first two years after the infarction by 47 per cent lower. The deaths due to cardiovascular failure decreased by 50 percent. After up to five years, the General mortality risk was 38 percent lower for cardiovascular death by 43 percent.
"We can say that the visit of the ,heart-Schule‘ after a first heart attack with a nearly halved mortality was associated, both in terms of total mortality, as well as in relation to the cardiovascular System", John Wallert of the University of Uppsala says.
Patient education is an important aspect of Rehabilitation after a heart attack. Core components of the Swedish "Heart-Schule" individual counselling and group sessions that focus on modifiable risks, such as the life-style. For example, the patient is taught the importance of a healthy diet, physical activity and Smoking cessation. The visit to the "Heart-Schule" is voluntary.
In order to examine the relationship between participation in training and the duration of Survival of patients after a heart attack, the researchers used data from 47.907 patients from the Swedish heart registry SWEDEHEART and the Swedish causes of death register.
ZOU