Predictors of physical activity one year after myocardial infarction.

A number of factors predicting habitual physical activity, duration of night's rest, return to work and exercise tolerance one year after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are studied in fifty-five male patients. Except for exercise tolerance three months after AMI, the results of this prospective study suggest that psychologic factors are more important predictors of the four outcome variables than angina pectoris, infarction size and participation in a physical training program. The most important predictor appears to be the patient's subjective opinion of his physical capabilities, measured by the perceived exercise tolerance scale. The expectation of the eventual return to work three months after MI plays also a significant role as a predictor. Both are predictors of the exercise tolerance and return to work one year after AMI. These findings suggest that physical activity--defined as exercise tolerance, habitual physical activity and duration of night's rest--and return to work are closely related.