Heart attack: returning to work

Larissa Melville completed her traineeship in the editorial team of . After studying biology at Ludwig Maximilians University and the Technical University of Munich, she first got to know digital media online at Focus and then decided to learn medical journalism from scratch.

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A heart attack kills those affected from the middle of life. Most of them, however, get up quickly and manage to return to work. But that is often not permanent.

Just one month after a heart attack, 42 ​​percent of patients are already back to their old job, according to the results of a Danish study by Laerke Smedegaard and her colleagues from the University of Hellerup. In fact, 91 percent of the study participants returned to their workplaces within a year.

But it often doesn't stop there: "Although most patients soon return to work after a heart attack, one in four of them will be out of work again after a year," according to the study's authors. However, this risk is not the same for all patients.

Those who earn more are more likely to work

For example, a high level of education and income encouraged both return to work and retention of work. "Earlier studies have also shown that employees with higher salaries are more likely to return to their jobs after an illness than those who earn little," the researchers write.

The analysis of various other factors showed that those test subjects who no longer worked often suffered from cardiac insufficiency, diabetes or depression in addition to the previous heart attack. Former heart attack patients between the ages of 60 and 65, but also those between the ages of 30 and 35, left their job quickly.

Young patients particularly affected

It is not yet entirely clear to the researchers why young heart attack patients in particular have difficulties in permanently reintegrating into the profession. It is known, however, that people who have a heart attack at a young age often smoke, have a high body mass index and generally lead a rather unhealthy lifestyle.

It is also conceivable that employers are more likely to keep older and therefore more experienced employees.

Overall, the result is alarming. Because the boys in particular still have several years of work ahead of them, warn Smedegaard and her colleagues. "Unemployment is a decisive risk factor for a poor quality of life and the resulting depression."

Rehabilitation for the young and socially disadvantaged

Rehabilitation programs could help young patients in particular. “But these generally focus on older and particularly vulnerable patients. Younger people, on the other hand, receive little attention, ”write the study authors.

And there is another group of people who take part less often in such programs: the socially disadvantaged. "Our study results show that a rehabilitation strategy that focuses on maintaining jobs is particularly important for patients aged 30 to 39 and those with a lower socio-economic status," the authors explain.

The study included data from over 39,000 Danes who had a heart attack for the first time in their lives between 1997 and 2012. The subjects were predominantly men and between 30 and 65 years of age. Almost 22,400 of them were working before the heart attack.

Situation in Germany

In Germany, too, people are familiar with the problem of unemployment and occupational disability after a heart attack. According to the German Heart Foundation, around 75,000 heart patients in Germany are taking part in rehab after acute treatment.

The aim of rehabilitation is that the patient can find his way around in everyday life as well as possible. Likewise, relapses should be prevented and a worsening of the overall condition and secondary diseases prevented. "Rehabilitation lowers the risk of dying of a heart attack in the long term," says cardiologist Axel Schlitt, co-author of the chapter on cardiological rehabilitation in the current heart report and chief physician at the Paracelsus Harz Clinic in Bad Suderode.

Diet, exercise, psychotherapy

In addition to nutritional advice and exercise therapy, discussions with social counselors also take place in the rehabilitation center. But psychological support is also crucial, because heart diseases often lead to depression and anxiety. “That is an extremely important aspect,” emphasizes Schlitt. Psychocardiology, which is dedicated to the connection between heart disease and mental well-being, is becoming more and more conscious. Overall, the concept has proven itself. After three to four weeks in the rehab clinic, the patients are much more psychologically stable - and much better equipped for their return to work.

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