397 recent immigrants (olim) were under medical treatment at a primary care clinic during their first year (1990-1991) after immigration to Israel (aliya) from 14 republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, formerly the Soviet Union). While in the CIS 3/4 had used medication for hypertension intermittently for only 2-4 weeks, whenever blood pressure was elevated. More than 3/4 took prophylactic drugs for coronary heart disease only when chest pain appeared and for only approximately 4 weeks, in contrast with continuous, prolonged treatment used in Israel and western countries.Immigrants brought with them stocks of drugs and continued to take them intermittently as they had in the CIS. This form of treatment is described in the official pharmacology book. Only after intervention of the family physician did the immigrants begin to take their drugs for hypertension and coronary heart disease continuously.

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antihypertensive agent hypertension USSR Emigration and Immigration Israel ethnology Antihypertensive Agents Commonwealth of Independent States Article Coronary Disease coronary artery disease attitude to health drug utilization human Humans migration