[Prospective epidemiologic study of arterial hypertension in an organized male population].

The effect of active arterial-hypertension preventive programs on the epidemiologic situation was studied over a nine-year period, 1977 through 1985. In the first five years, the number of effectively treated cases increased, while essential hypertension morbidity associated with temporary disability diminished, as did mortality and the incidence of myocardial infarction and cerebral accidents among 40- to 54-year-old male industrial workers. After an active preventive program was abandoned at one factory, the parameters examined deteriorated considerably, and a sample selected for comparison showed an abrupt drop in treatment efficiency within three years after annual screenings were discontinued.