Tips to recovery after a heart attack or stroke

It takes time to recover from cardiovascular disease; the body needs time to adjust. Don't rush yourself through recovery before your body is ready, no matter how much you want to be back up on your feet. Here are some things to expect along the way.

• Your heart may be going through changes as part of the healing process and doctors will want to monitor you closely to make sure that you do not develop signs of heart failure or heart rhythm abnormalities.
• You may be referred for tests to assess if further treatment could reduce your risk of future attacks.
• During the recovery period, you'll receive help from a range of key health professionals, both in the hospital and at home, whose input will be crucial to your successful rehabilitation.

• Some recovery from the physical symptoms of strokes may happen while you are still in the hospital, but it is a process that can continue for months or even years.
• The brain is a remarkable organ. After a stroke, recovery occurs both as a result of brain cells which were temporarily damaged starting to function again, as well as other parts of the brain unaffected by the stroke taking over the functions of the damaged area.
• Some studies have shown improvements in neural function up to 14 years later.

• There is powerful evidence to suggest that if your general outlook is optimistic, you have a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and death from cardiovascular disease than someone who's constantly negative about life.
• And, if you have already had a heart attack and yet remain positive about the future, you are three times less likely to suffer a second attack than those with a more pessimistic response.
• In one study that followed 122 men who had suffered a heart attack, 21 of the 25 steadfast pessimists had died eight years after the attack, compared with just six out of 25 confirmed optimists.
• Another study of 309 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery showed that optimistic patients were only half as likely as pessimistic ones to be rehospitalised with complications including infection, angina, a repeat heart attack or the need for more surgery.

• When you're discharged from the hospital, you will be prescribed medication that you will probably have to take for the foreseeable future to protect against further attacks.
• Both heart and stroke patients may require blood pressure-lowering drugs, aspirin and other anti-platelet drugs that prevent blood clots from occurring in the future, as well as cholesterol-lowering drugs.
• Others may also require drugs for conditions such as diabetes and abnormal heart rhythms.
• It is important to follow your doctors' instructions and take all medications exactly as prescribed.