Research has shown that lifestyle intervention has a promising effect in patients with coronary heart disease, but little is known about the practice of such intervention. To explore this issue a questionnaire was sent to all departments of internal medicine in Norway (N = 67). 58 hospitals responded. The results showed that most hospitals offered physical training (49 hospitals) and dietary intervention programmes (51 hospitals) to patients with coronary heart disease, but only six hospitals offered a smoking cessation programme. The hospitals expressed a desire to expand the existing programmes (especially dietary intervention) and establish new ones (in particular smoking cessation), but claimed that lack of personnel and funds limited their activity. Only a few hospitals record in the medical journal that a patient has been informed about the significance of changes in lifestyle.