[Physical therapy in rehabilitation after myocardial infarction (author's transl)].

Modern epidemiology provides us with tools for the prevention of myocardial infarction to which 500,000--600,000 people in the Federal Republic fall prey annually, 1/3 of them fatally. By elimination of the risk factors by means of physical therapy and measures derived from it, the dramatic course of this disease can be prevented in many cases. Of course, a certain amount of financial expenditure is essential, as in cardiac surgery, dialysis and intensive medicine, in order to change the thinking and action of doctors and patients.