Physical activity for elderly people after an acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) emerges, within cardiovascular diseases, as the leading cause of death and disability in Portugal and in the world with higher prevalence in the elderly population, thus emerging as a central axis in intervention strategies of health professionals. Population aging is accompanied by progressive changes that, in addition to increasing susceptibility to the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), also have an impact on functional capacity, autonomy and independence versus dependence. It is essential that interventions with significant gains in nursing are developed that actively seek to intervene with an elderly individual after an AMI. The aim of this study was to identify health gains resulting from the intervention of nursing care in the practice of physical activity in the elderly person after an AMI. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out using articles on the subject under analysis, published retrospectively until 2014. The results show gains from the practice of physical activity that are framed with the descriptive statements of the regulation of nursing care quality standards. Thus, physical exercise emerges as a form of treatment that should be implemented with multiple benefits in terms of decreasing morbidity and mortality rates, controlling cardiovascular risk factors, promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing functional capacity, improved prognosis and decreased limitations.