Quality of life and social support after a first, non-complicated acute myocardial infarction

Introduction. There is a relationship between social support and health. Ho wever, there is no very much available research in the area of ischemic hea rt disease related to the influence of social support on the quality of lif e. Objectives. To study the social aspects of patients. To measure emotional a nd instrumental social support and quality of life, after a first acute myo cardial infarction. Patients and methods. 155 patients were studied under two pieces of assessm ent: at admission's time and six months later. A protocol was selected with clinical, socio-economic, social support and quality of life variables. Results. 90,9% could read and write, however 42.3% have any study or comple ted their primary studies. Moreover, 45.1% of patients were working, at six months only 14% of them had returned to their jobs. They were blue and whi te collar patients. Availability of instrumental and emotional social suppo rt was referred by 78.7% and 69.9% respectively of patient's. At the beginn ing, the mean quality of life was 108.1 +/- 19.3. Six months later was 101. 1 +/- 19.1 SD. Statistics revelled that the availability of instrumental an d emotional social support impacts favourable on human being's health. Conclusions. The quality of life is related to the patient's perceived soci al support. The perceived social support depends directly on the size of th eir network. Moreover, there is a relationship between quality of life and educational achievement, so that, the lower that patient's quality of life, the lower the educational achievement. After the first not complicated myo cardial infarction the return to their jobs is really low.