Effects of nurse-managed secondary prevention program on lifestyle and risk factors of patients who had experienced myocardial infarction

The effects of a nurse-managed secondary prevention program on lifestyle and risk factors were studied quasi-experimentally with 36 participants who had suffered a myocardial infarction. Their lifestyle was assessed, and risk factors were measured at the hospital before discharge and 14 weeks thereafter. A secondary prevention education program was begun at the hospital and continued during home visits four times after discharge. Results of the program showed that the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, and the number of smokers had decreased and that the number of participants being more attentive and careful concerning their eating habits and exercising regularly had increased. These results indicate that nurses can successfully plan and implement risk-reduction programs to help manage coronary risk factors.