Hello, I am in my early 60s and had a heart attack six weeks ago. I got a stent in one of my arteries and am getting blood thinners as well. What I am wondering is, what kind of activities can I do at this point and what should I not do? The doctors told me not to go up and down stairs, but after six weeks is that okay? Also, they told me not to bend over all the way, but is that all right to do now? It's all sort of confusing. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thank you for your question. From your brief history you had a good result in treating your heart attack. In terms of what you should be doing, I would strongly recommend that you ask your physician to refer you to a cardiac rehabilitation center that does Phase II rehabilitation. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program that is designed for anyone with heart problems. It provides education, support and physical training to improve fitness and promote optimum heart health. Phase I is designed for the acute in hospital setting. Phase II is for the immediate post discharge from the hospital to 12 to 24 weeks from the event. Phase III is for maintenance of physical activity and continued support in education, stress management and monitoring for depression and recurrence of cardiac disease. If a program is not available in your area, many physical therapists are trained in cardiac rehab and can help you. Also, many YMCAs or gyms may have heart programs to support heart attack survivors. Best of luck!

Dr. Fung

-- Dr. Gordon Fung, MD, MPH, is a cardiologist and associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center at Mt. Zion.

Last updated July 27, 2009
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