Is It Recommended That I Slow Down At Work After A Heart Attack?

— -- Question: Is it recommended that I slow down at work after a heart attack?

Answer: Slowing down after a heart attack is more the rule rather than the exception. Certainly an individual who has just been hospitalized and had a life threatening event has concerns as to what is safe and what is not safe in terms of activities. It could be daily activities or they could involve workplace activities, it could be leisure activities.

So it's very, very important that a patient and a physician develop a close relationship with open communication to make sure that the degree of activity is considered safe, that the patient is well informed, and also that the family is well informed as to things that they can do to help the person during their recovery.

The recovery itself is both physical, psychological, and emotional. And each of those are equally important and must be addressed by a physician that is well-versed and a health care team that is also well-versed. It's important that the physician speak openly, candidly, with an employer to make sure that there are metrics for returning to work and also for resuming safe activities for both the patient, the employer, and for the family members.

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