Office care of patients after myocardial infarction

Declining death rates from heart disease since the 1950s have been largely attributed to secondary prevention. Unfortunately, studies demonstrate remarkable underutilization of secondary prevention plans by health care providers. Health care providers should develop secondary prevention plans for patients who have sustained a myocardial infarction or an acute coronary syndrome. The secondary prevention plan should include four core components: initial patient risk assessment, pharmacologic therapy, therapeutic lifestyle changes and intervention, and psychosocial evaluation.