Prognosis of Men Returning to Work after First Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

The 5-year prognosis of 202 railway operating employees returning to full-time work after their initial myocardial infarction and the 10-year survival rates of 97 of these men have been described. The 5-year survival rate was 83 per cent and the 10-year survival rate was 57 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of these men died or were totally disabled at the end of 5 years and 50 per cent at the end of 10 years. The cause of death or disability following the initial infarction was largely due to recurrent myocardial infarction. The prognosis for men returning to fulltime activity after the first myocardial infarction is better than that reported for those surviving without consideration for their functional recovery. This better prognosis is not due to freedom from second infarctions but to a decreased incidence of myocardial failure and the ability better to survive and tolerate a second infarction.