RELATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR FOLLOWING INPATIENT CARDIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION

In n = 835 consecutive patients under 60 years of age undergoing in-pa tient cardiological rehabilitation, the relation between professional perspective, participation in an out-patient cardiological rehabilitat ion group and development of cholesterol values were investigated. As expected, professional reintegration after in-patient cardiological re habilitation was more likely to be successful in younger patients. Whi le up to 80% of patients in the fifth decade of life had returned to p rofessional life 7-8 months following in-patient cardiological rehabil itation, about 53% of the 51- to 55-year-old and only 28% of the 56- t o 60-year-old patients did so. 32.9% of patients undergoing in-patient cardiological rehabilitation had contacted an out-patient cardiologic al rehabilitation group. There was a close connection between positive professional perspective and the subsequent participation in this gro up (42 vs. 26.2%). Given identical lipid profiles at the beginning and at the end of in-patient cardiological rehabilitation in patients wit h subsequent positive or negative professional perspective, those with a favourable social destiny showed significantly better controlled ch olesterol values 7-8 months following in-patient cardiological rehabil itation. These figures prove that particularly in younger patients reg aining and maintaining professional life represent important sources o f motivation for adapting life style to health.