[Selected problems of diagnosis, natural course and prognostic significance of borderline arterial hypertension. I. Long-term observations of borderline arterial hypertension in the population of working men].

Of 1236 men, aged 40-59 years, working in the same industrial plant borderline arterial hypertension (BH) was found in 253 (20.5%) subjects. The hypertensives and matched control normotensives (n = 237) were followed up for many years. At 13 years 343 subjects i.e. 70% of the original population were reevaluated. Arterial hypertension developed in 79.1% of the subjects with initial BH, most frequently with systolic++-diastolic, less frequently with systolic and diastolic BH. In normotensives hypertension was diagnosed in 30% of the subjects (p less than 0.001). A negative correlation between blood pressure rise and its initial value was found in all subjects. Out of various risk factors such as overweight, family hypertension, smoking and tachycardia possibly contributing to the development of established hypertension genetic factors and overweight were shown to be predisposing. The results of the studies indicate the need of preventive measures in all men with borderline hypertension and normotensives with family hypertension and overweight.