Predicting return to work after acute myocardial infarction. Significance of clinical data, exercise test variables and beta-blocker therapy.

Among 66 full-time employed men surviving an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and participating in the Norwegian postinfarction study with timolol, 50 (75.7%) resumed their previous work within 12 months, and 16 (24.3%) retired. Stepwise logistic regression analysis of clinical data and of results from an exercise test 3 months post AMI revealed the following factors of independent predictive value for enhanced return to work: previous labor characterized as light or moderately heavy (p = 0.001), low age at the time of infarction (p = 0.001), timolol treatment (p = 0.009), ability to stop smoking post AMI (p = 0.006), and a high exercise capacity on the exercise test (p = 0.016). It is concluded that the clinical history and an exercise test 3 months after AMI can identify patients who are more likely to resume work, and that post-AMI beta-blocker treatment with timolol and ability to stop smoking are predictive of an enhanced return to work.