Return to Work after Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Comparison Between Young Women and Men

Abstract

Background

Return to work following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important outcome and is particularly relevant to young patients. Women may be at a greater risk for not returning to work given evidence of their worse recovery after AMI than similarly aged men. However, sex differences in return to work after AMI has not been studied extensively in a young population (≤55 years).

Methods and Results

We analyzed data from 1680 AMI patients aged 18–55 years (57% women) participating in the VIRGO study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI patients) who were working full time (≥35 hours) prior to the event. Data were obtained by medical record abstraction and patient interviews. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine sex differences in return to work at 12 months after AMI, and the association of patient characteristics with return to work. Compared to young men, young women were less likely to return to work (89% vs. 85%, P=0.018); however this sex difference was not significant after adjusting for patient socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, and health measures. Being married, engaging in a professional or clerical type of work, having more favorable physical health, and having no prior coronary disease or hypertension were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of return to work at 12 months.

Conclusion

Among a young population, women are less likely to return to work after AMI than men. This disadvantage is explained by differences in demographic, occupational and health characteristics.