title: Secondary prevention of coronary heart disease is disappointing among patients of working age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The risk factors underlying coronary heart disease (CHD) are well known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors related to secondary prevention of working-age CHD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  CHD patients with (n = 139) and without (n = 203) myocardial infarction were selected from a postal questionnaire study (n = 21 101) of randomly selected Finns aged 20-54 years (HeSSup study). Four age- and sex-matched controls were chosen for every patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CHD patients still smoke, are obese and suffer hangovers more frequently than the control population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health care system has not succeeded in the secondary prevention of CHD.
authors.affiliation: Kangasala Health Centre, Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland. markku.sumanen@kolumbus.fi
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sumanen
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koskenvuo
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Immonen-Räihä
authors.forename: Sakari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suominen
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundell
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires