[Living with coronary disease: between authentic living and living with daily ties]

Phenomenological study, which purpose is the meaning that the persons suffering from coronary diseases ascribe to the experiences undergone. From the interviews, significances were obtained: fear of death and of the return of the acute symptoms; perceiving the social, professional and sexual life transformations; feeling watched; resigning oneself to the new conditions; and feel sadness and no resignation. These significances permitted the comprehensive analyses, that was supported by Martin Heidegger in his book Being and time. The person suffering from coronary diseases showed themselves as inauthentic existences when fearing "something", by becoming tied to chatter and to the satisfaction they once had. Moreover, they transcend to the authentic living when they feel anguished, assuming coronary illness as a possibility of existence, although they fail and become tied to daily life traps. The study reflects about the need to privilege the existential dimension in health assistance and in the training of professionals, getting ahead the idea of the other as a guidance to be followed.