[Medical and social medicine correlates of serum cholesterol value during and after inpatient cardiologic rehabilitation--a prospective study].

The connection between changes in the serum cholesterol value during and after in-patient cardiological rehabilitation on the one hand and medical and sociomedical variables on the other is investigated. In 162 male and female patients up to 60 years of age undergoing inpatient cardiological rehabilitation under the pension insurance scheme for workers, a significant decrease of serum cholesterol values could be observed between the beginning and the end of cardiological rehabilitation of 24.5 mg% (10.6%), with a subsequent increase of 12.5 mg% (6%) seven months later. Independent of a possible medical antilipemic therapy the group of patients with a positive occupational perspective was found to have better controlled serum cholesterol values than pensioners or those patients with a negative occupational perspective such as unemployment or dismissal. It can be assumed that those patients having a positive occupational perspective are more likely to follow dietetic and/or medical therapeutic regimes.