The object of this investigation was to compare the physical and social rehabilitation of trained (n = 38) as compared with untrained patients (n = 37) after recovery from acute myocardial infarction during a period of observation of three years. Patients were selected at random for the training group and training commenced one month after discharge from hospital. Training consisted of supervised physical training in the form of interval training for one hour twice weekly for two months followed by one hour once weekly for ten months. Training resulted in significantly improved fitness for work as expressed by systolic blood-pressure-pulse product as compared with the original values for this group and the values in the untrained group. During the subsequent two years, in which the patients were no longer supervised, the physical fitness for work decreased to approximately that in the untrained group. Physical training had no significance for the duration of the period of convalescence, whether the patient could recommence his usual occupation or whether the patient ceased smoking but the psychological late sequelae appeared to be reduced. On account of the limited size of the material, it is not possible to form any conclusions concerning possible effects of physical training and cessation of smoking on the mortality and incidence of re-infarction.

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