[Estimate of the frequency of excessive diagnosis and treatment of hypertension].

The ALPHA program aimed at testing the feasibility and the efficiency of a multifactorial, primary preventive intervention for cardiovascular diseases. It dealt with two occupational populations: intervention and control (without any randomization), each amounting to about 12,000 people. Largely because of the economic crisis, only 9,598 and 9,558 people were seen at the 1976 initial examination, and only 43 per cent of these were re-examined at the 1981-82 final examination. In 1976, there were some significative differences between the two populations (more smokers, and less anti-hypertensive treatments in the intervention group). The same differences were found in 1981-82. So the intervention was not proved efficient, and the two populations could be pooled for the present analysis restricted to the french people (to diminish the risk of misunderstanding), aged 20-59 at the initial 1976 examination. We used the following (arbitrary) criteria of hypertension: being treated for hypertension, and/or two BP readings at 160 and/or 94 mmHg at a few minutes interval. 1) In 1981-82, 659 men and 492 women answered that they were still treated for hypertension, and/or had been previously said that they had hypertension or too much blood pressure. At this 1981-82 examination, 298 of these men (45 per cent) and 294 of these women (58 per cent) did not meet the criteria of hypertension. 2) In 1976, 3,114 men and 2,429 women did not meet the criteria of hypertension. At the 1981-82 examination, they were asked whether they had had any antihypertensive treatment previously given. 139 were still under antihypertensive treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)