The study which follows is prospective, qualitative, and comparative. In the first part, it deals with the evaluation of understandings of the disease and treatment. It then looks at changes in life practices among a population suffering from chronic cardiac problems. The results show that therapeutic education meetings are to some degree effective, and that a coordinate assumption of responsibility takes place in the network. The second part looks at the incorporation of this new knowledge by comparing two groups of people from different socio-professional backgrounds. Research indicates the importance of cultures of the body in interpreting and mobilizing new knowledge obtained about pathology and treatment, experiences of bodily limits, and interactions with healthcare professionals.