Does socially differentiated cardiac rehabilitation affect the use of healthcare services after myocardial infarction? A 10-year follow-up study.

Objective: To examine the long-term effect of a socially differentiated cardiac rehabilitation (CR) intervention tailored to reduce social inequalities in health regarding use of healthcare services in general practice and hospital among socially vulnerable patients admitted with first-episode myocardial infarction (MI).

Design: A prospective cohort study with 10 years' follow-up.

Setting: Department of cardiology at a university hospital in Denmark between 2000 and 2004.

Medication adherence, biological and lifestyle risk factors in patients with myocardial infarction: a ten-year follow-up on socially differentiated cardiac rehabilitation.

There is strong evidence that medication adherence and lifestyle changes are essential in patients undergoing secondary cardiovascular disease prevention. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) increases medication adherence and improves lifestyle changes. Patients with cardiac diseases and a low educational level and patients with little social support are less responsive to improve medication adherence and to adapt lifestyle changes.

Expanded cardiac rehabilitation in socially vulnerable patients with myocardial infarction: a 10-year follow-up study focusing on mortality and non-fatal events.

Objective: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk. A research project performed at a university hospital in Denmark offered an expanded CR intervention to socially vulnerable patients. One-year follow-up showed significant improvements concerning medicine compliance, lipid profile, blood pressure and body mass index when compared with socially vulnerable patients receiving standard CR.

Extended cardiac rehabilitation for socially vulnerable patients improves attendance and outcome.

Introduction: Patients living alone or having a low socioeconomic status are likely to quit cardiac rehabilitation. We aimed to compare patients being offered extended rehabilitation (ERP) with those being offered standard rehabilitation (SRP) as concerns 1) attendance rates and 2) achievement of treatment goals at 12 months.

Material And Methods: During a five-year period, 508 consecutive myocardial infarction patients below the age of 70 years were included.

Socially differentiated cardiac rehabilitation: can we improve referral, attendance and adherence among patients with first myocardial infarction?

Aim: The comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme after myocardial infarction (MI) improves quality of life and results in reduced cardiac mortality and recurrence of MI. Hospitals worldwide face problems with low participation rates in rehabilitation programmes. Inequality in recruitment and participation among low educated and socially vulnerable patients must be addressed to lower inequality in post-MI health.