397 new immigrants to Israel ("olim") were under medical treatment at a primary care clinic during the first year (1990-1991) after their immigration to Israel ("aliyah") from 14 republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, formerly the Soviet Union). Most of the olim were between 1-19 years of age. More than three-quarters were married and about a third of the women were widowed or divorced. The other patients were bachelors, separated men or women, or divorced men. More than a third had 16 years or more of education. More than a third of the families consisted of 2 members, while more than three-quarters had both parents, and about a quarter only 1 parent, usually the mother. Half the families had children; more than a quarter of the adults had not been employed in the CIS, while in Israel 58.8% were. 464 diagnoses of chronic diseases had been made in the CIS, (1.2/person), of which 75% were verified in Israel. 185 cases (0.5/person) not previously reported were diagnosed or had developed in Israel. The most frequent were cardiovascular, and next digestive tract disease, followed by endocrine, metabolic and musculoskeletal-connective tissue diseases. The overall prevalence rate of ischemic heart disease among men aged 20 < or = 65 years was 18.8%, compared to 5.8% among veteran Israelis. Among women the rates were 9.5% and 4.0%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension (> or = 160/95) was 14% among men and 21% among women; in veteran Israelis it was 14% for both men and women. The prevalence of diabetes among men was 4.1%, and 5.4% among veteran Israelis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Israel human middle aged Aged USSR chronic disease family size Family Characteristics Humans male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Article adult migration Emigration and Immigration Commonwealth of Independent States primary health care