The incidence of hypertension and associated factors: The Israel ischemic heart disease study

In a study of male Israeli civil service workers, five-year incidence rates of hypertension (using the WHO definition) were found to increase with age and were higher for European-born subjects. Data are presented in support of a hypothesis that the size of the family group living together is inversely related to the risk of developing hypertension. Other factors found associated (at p <0.01 level) with hypertension incidence (all positively) were weight/height ratio, skinfolds, serum uric acid, pulse rate, cigarette smoking, and prolongation and suppression of feelings following conflicts in certain life situations. Other associated variables between the <0.01 and <0.05 levels are recorded and the fact is stressed that we are only at the beginning of an understanding of factors associated with hypertension incidence.