The role of epidemiology in prevention of hypertension in Israel.

High blood pressure may be the most important modifiable determinant of severe morbidity and mortality in the adult population in Israel. Because hypertension control can effect a reduction in this morbidity and mortality, programs of secondary--and subsequently primary--prevention can have a far-reaching impact on the state of health in the nation. The primary care delivery system in Israel is structurally well suited to centrally directed initiatives. Major hypertension control programs are being introduced in Israel. The General Federation of Labour Sick Fund (Kupat Holim)--the nation's chief provider of primary care--has recently undertaken a wide-scale initiative for detection and treatment of high blood pressure in its neighborhood primary care clinics. A policy decision has thus been made on a national level; resources for intervention have been made available and activities initiated. The issue in need of resolution, the authors believe, is that of the integration of rigorous epidemiologic methodology into the planning and execution of the programs, particularly in program evaluation and resultant program modification. The authors outline selected epidemiologic characteristics of hypertension in Israel, emphasizing the major role that elevated blood pressure plays as a determinant of mortality; the present status of hypertension control; current programs for control; and the role of epidemiology in preventive programs.