Exercise-related MIs prove more survivable

If your patient’s first myocardial infarction (MI) occurs shortly after exercise, he or she has a better chance than one who suffers the attack while resting in bed. A study of 2,500 patients who had heart attacks revealed that patients with nonexercise-related MIs had a 1.4 times higher chance of dying while in the hospital than those with exercise-related MIs.¹ The difference might be explained by the population at risk or by the pathophysiology of the attack.

^Reference

1. Stewart, RA, Robertson HMC, Wilkins GT, et al. Association between activity at onset of symptoms and outcome of acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol 1997; 29:250-253.