Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interventions that improve health-related quality of life in patients with myocardial infarction

Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) often report lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than those without MI. Interventions can affect HRQoL of these patients. The purpose of this review was to identify effective strategies for improving HRQoL among individuals with MI.

Methods

Three electronic databases were searched and limited to articles peer-reviewed and published in English between 1995 and 2015. We screened titles and abstracts of the retrieved articles for studies that examined effectiveness of interventions to improve HRQoL in patients with MI.

Results

Twenty-three studies were found that examined the effects of behavioural interventions—cardiac rehabilitation programmes (CRP), education and counselling programmes, and other psychological and cognitive interventions—to improve HRQoL in patients with MI. The studies included were mainly randomised controlled trials (14 studies) with a wide age range of participants (18–80 years) and a mean age group of 50–70 years. CRPs, including home- and hospital-based CRPs, regular weekly aerobic training programmes, and group counselling mostly resulted in improvement of HRQoL in patients with MI.

Conclusion

Most CRPs and other interventions were beneficial to MI patients. Therefore, patients with MI should be encouraged to participate in programmes that can help promote their HRQoL.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organisation (2015). Fact sheet N°317: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/viewed. February 2015.

  2. World Health Organisation (2014). Fact sheet N°310: The top 10 causes of death. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/viewed. February 2015.

  3. Thygesen, K., Alpert, J. S., Jaffe, A. S., White, H. D., Simoons, M. L., Chaitman, B. R., et al. (2012). Third universal definition of myocardial infarction. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 60(16), 1581–1598.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Runge, M. S., Stouffer, G., & Patterson, C. (2010). Netter’s cardiology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Eriksson, M., Asplund, K., Hochwälder, J., & Svedlund, M. (2013). Changes in hope and health-related quality of life in couples following acute myocardial infarction: A quantitative longitudinal study. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 27(2), 295–302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Foxwell, R., Morley, C., & Frizelle, D. (2013). Illness perceptions, mood and quality of life: A systematic review of coronary heart disease patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 75(3), 211–222.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Health-related quality of life (HRQOL). http://www.cdc.gov/hrqol/Retrieved. 26 September 2014.

  8. Rumsfeld, J. S., Alexander, K. P., Goff, D. C., Graham, M. M., Ho, P. M., Masoudi, F. A., et al. (2013). Cardiovascular health: The importance of measuring patient-reported health status a scientific statement from the american heart association. Circulation, 127(22), 2233–2249.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wingate, S. (1995). Quality of life for women after a myocardial infarction. Heart and Lung, 24(6), 467–473.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sun, J., Buys, N., & Jayasinghe, R. (2014). Effects of community-based meditative Tai Chi programme on improving quality of life, physical and mental health in chronic heart-failure participants. Aging and Mental Health, 18(3), 289–295.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dal Boni, A. L. M., Martinez, J. E., & da Silva Saccomann, I. C. R. (2013). Quality of Life of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 26(6), 575–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Pettersen, K. I. (2008). Health-related quality of life after myocardial infarction: methods for assessment and determinants. PhD, University of Oslo.

  13. Marchionni, N., Fattirolli, F., Fumagalli, S., Oldridge, N., Del Lungo, F., Morosi, L., et al. (2003). Improved exercise tolerance and quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation of older patients after myocardial infarction results of a randomized, controlled trial. Circulation, 107(17), 2201–2206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yu, C. M., Lau, C. P., Chau, J., McGhee, S., Kong, S. L., Cheung, B. M. Y., et al. (2004). A short course of cardiac rehabilitation program is highly cost effective in improving long-term quality of life in patients with recent myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 85(12), 1915–1922.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hawkes, A. L., Patrao, T. A., Atherton, J., Ware, R. S., Taylor, C. B., O’Neil, A., et al. (2013). Effect of a telephone-delivered coronary heart disease secondary prevention program (ProActive Heart) on quality of life and health behaviours: Primary outcomes of a randomised controlled trial. International Journal Of Behavioral Medicine, 20(3), 413–424. doi:10.1007/s12529-012-9250-5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Benetti, M., Araujo, C. L. P. D., & Santos, R. Z. D. (2010). Cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life at different exercise intensities after myocardial infarction. Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, 95(3), 399–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Dugmore, L., Tipson, R., Phillips, M., Flint, E., Stentiford, N., Bone, M., et al. (1999). Changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological wellbeing, quality of life, and vocational status following a 12 month cardiac exercise rehabilitation programme. Heart, 81(4), 359–366.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Wang, W., Chair, S. Y., Thompson, D. R., & Twinn, S. F. (2012). Effects of home-based rehabilitation on health-related quality of life and psychological status in Chinese patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Heart and Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 41(1), 15–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hanssen, T. A., Nordrehaug, J. E., Eide, G. E., & Hanestad, B. R. (2007). Improving outcomes after myocardial infarction: A randomized controlled trial evaluating effects of a telephone follow-up intervention. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 14(3), 429–437.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hanssen, T. A., Nordrehaug, J. E., Eide, G. E., & Hanestad, B. R. (2009). Does a telephone follow-up intervention for patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction have long-term effects on health-related quality of life? A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(9), 1334–1345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Izawa, K., Hirano, Y., Yamada, S., Oka, K., Omiya, K., & Iijima, S. (2004). Improvement in physiological outcomes and health-related quality of life following cardiac rehabilitation in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Circulation Journal: Official Journal Of The Japanese Circulation Society, 68(4), 315–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Izawa, K. P., Yamada, S., Oka, K., Watanabe, S., Omiya, K., Iijima, S., et al. (2004). Long-term exercise maintenance, physical activity, and health-related quality of life after cardiac rehabilitation. American Journal Of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Association Of Academic Physiatrists, 83(12), 884–892.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Mendes de Leon, C. F., Czajkowski, S. M., Freedland, K. E., Bang, H., Powell, L. H., Wu, C., et al. (2006). The effect of a psychosocial intervention and quality of life after acute myocardial infarction: The Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) clinical trial. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 26(1), 9–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Uysal, H., & Özcan, Ş. (2012). The effect of individual training and counselling programme for patients with myocardial infarction over patients’ quality of life. International journal of nursing practice, 18(5), 445–453.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. West, R. R., Jones, D. A., & Henderson, A. H. (2012). Rehabilitation after myocardial infarction trial (RAMIT): Multi-centre randomised controlled trial of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation in patients following acute myocardial infarction. Heart (British Cardiac Society), 98(8), 637–644. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2011-300302.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Yonezawa, R., Masuda, T., Matsunaga, A., Takahashi, Y., Saitoh, M., Ishii, A., et al. (2009). Effects of phase II cardiac rehabilitation on job stress and health-related quality of life after return to work in middle-aged patients with acute myocardial infarction. International Heart Journal, 50(3), 279–290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Höfer, S., Lim, L., Guyatt, G., & Oldridge, N. (2004). The MacNew Heart Disease health-related quality of life instrument: A summary. Health Qual Life Outcomes, 2(1), 3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Yousefy, A., Keshtiaray, N., Yamani, N., Rabiei, K., & Baghbranian, P. (2009). Quality of life in post myocardial infarction patients with or without cardiac rehabilitation. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 4(1), 54–58.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Choo, J., Burke, L. E., & Hong, K. P. (2007). Improved quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation for post-myocardial infarction patients in Korea. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 6(3), 166–171.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Peixoto, T. C. A., Begot, I., Bolzan, D. W., Machado, L., Reis, M. S., Papa, V., et al. (2015). Early exercise-based rehabilitation improves health-related quality of life and functional capacity after acute myocardial infarction: A randomized controlled trial. The Canadian Journal Of Cardiology, 31(3), 308–313. doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2014.11.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Varnfield, M., Karunanithi, M., Lee, C.-K., Honeyman, E., Arnold, D., Ding, H., et al. (2014). Smartphone-based home care model improved use of cardiac rehabilitation in postmyocardial infarction patients: Results from a randomised controlled trial. Heart, 100(22), 1770–1779. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-305783.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Oranta, O., Luutonen, S., Salokangas, R. K., Vahlberg, T., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2011). The effects of interpersonal counselling on health-related quality of life after myocardial infarction. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20(23–24), 3373–3382.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Bagheri, H., Memarian, R., & Alhani, F. (2007). Evaluation of the effect of group counselling on post myocardial infarction patients: Determined by an analysis of quality of life. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16(2), 402–406.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Boersma, S. N., Maes, S., Joekes, K., & Dusseldorp, E. (2006). Goal processes in relation to goal attainment: Predicting health-related quality of life in myocardial infarction patients. Journal of Health Psychology, 11(6), 927–941.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Hevey, D., & Wilczkiewicz, E. (2014). Changes in language use mediate expressive writing’s benefits on health-related quality of life following myocardial infarction. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 2(1), 1053–1066.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Roncella, A., Pristipino, C., Cianfrocca, C., Scorza, S., Pasceri, V., Pelliccia, F., et al. (2013). One-year results of the randomized, controlled, short-term psychotherapy in acute myocardial infarction (STEP-IN-AMI) trial. International Journal of Cardiology, 170(2), 132–139. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2013.08.094.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Heran, B. S., Chen, J. M., Ebrahim, S., Moxham, T., Oldridge, N., Rees, K., et al. (2011). Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001800.pub2.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Kim, S. S., Lee, S., Kim, G., Kang, S. M., & Ahn, J. A. (2014). Effects of a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program in patients with coronary heart disease in Korea. Nursing and Health Sciences, 16(4), 476–482. doi:10.1111/nhs.12155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Anderson, L., & Taylor, R. S. (2014). Cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart disease: An overview of Cochrane systematic reviews. International Journal of Cardiology, 177(2), 348–361.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Blair, J., Corrigall, H., Angus, N. J., Thompson, D. R., & Leslie, S. (2011). Home versus hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation: A systematic review. Rural and Remote Health, 11(2), 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Song, R., Ahn, S., So, H. Y., Park, I. S., Kim, H. L., Joo, K. O., et al. (2009). Effects of Tai Chi exercise on cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life in post-menopausal women. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 39(1), 136–144.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Worcester, M. C., Hare, D. L., Oliver, R. G., Reid, M. A., & Goble, A. (1993). Early programmes of high and low intensity exercise and quality of life after acute myocardial infarction. BMJ, 307(6914), 1244–1247.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Oldridge, N., Gottlieb, M., Guyatt, G., Jones, N., Streiner, D., & Feeny, D. (1998). Predictors of health-related quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 18(2), 95–103.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Bengtsson, I., Hagman, M., & Wedel, H. (2001). Age and angina as predictors of quality of life after myocardial infarction: A prospective comparative study. Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal: SCJ, 35(4), 252–258.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Dempster, M., Donnelly, M., & O’Loughlin, C. (2004). The validity of the MacNew Quality of Life in heart disease questionnaire. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2, 6. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Brink, E., Karlson, B., & Hallberg, L.-M. (2002). Health experiences of first-time myocardial infarction: Factors influencing women’s and men’s health-related quality of life after five months. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 7(1), 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Bogg, J., Thornton, E., & Bundred, P. (2000). Gender variability in mood, quality of life and coping following primary myocardial infarction. Coronary Health Care, 4(4), 163–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Garavalia, L. S., Decker, C., Reid, K. J., Lichtman, J. H., Parashar, S., Vaccarino, V., et al. (2007). Does health status differ between men and women in early recovery after myocardial infarction? Journal of Women’s Health, 16(1), 93–101.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Norris, C. M., Hegadoren, K., & Pilote, L. (2007). Depression symptoms have a greater impact on the 1-year health-related quality of life outcomes of women post-myocardial infarction compared to men. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 6(2), 92–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Kristofferzon, M. L., Löfmark, R., & Carlsson, M. (2005). Perceived coping, social support, and quality of life 1 month after myocardial infarction: A comparison between Swedish women and men. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 34(1), 39–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Bucholz, E. M., Rathore, S. S., Gosch, K., Schoenfeld, A., Jones, P. G., Buchanan, D. M., et al. (2011). Effect of living alone on patient outcomes after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction. American Journal of Cardiology, 108(7), 943–948. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2011.05.023.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  52. Samartzis, L., Dimopoulos, S., Tziongourou, M., & Nanas, S. (2013). Effect of psychosocial interventions on quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 19(2), 125–134.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Kyoungrim Kang, Leila Gholizadeh & Sally C. Inglis

  2. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Hae-Ra Han

Authors
  1. Kyoungrim Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Leila Gholizadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sally C. Inglis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hae-Ra Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyoungrim Kang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Kyoungrim Kang declares that she has no conflict of interest. Leila Gholizadeh declares that she has no conflict of interest. Sally Inglis declares that she has no conflict of interest. Hae-Ra Han declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kang, K., Gholizadeh, L., Inglis, S.C. et al. Interventions that improve health-related quality of life in patients with myocardial infarction. Qual Life Res 25, 2725–2737 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-016-1401-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-016-1401-8

Keywords

search

Navigation