The prevalence of common cardiovascular diseases among 17-year-old Israeli conscripts.
BACKGROUND
There are only few reports on the prevalence of common cardiovascular disorders among adolescents. The previous studies focused on specific diseases, and screened relatively small samples.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to define the prevalence of different common cardiovascular disorders among 17-year-old Israeli conscripts. A comparison between the morbidity patterns of female and male adolescents was also performed.


METHODS
All 17-years-old Israeli nationals are obliged by law to appear at the Israel Defense Forces Recruiting Office for medical examination except for orthodox religious and Arabic adolescents. Cardiology specialists evaluated and classified nominees with suspected cardiovascular disorders.


RESULTS
The most prevalent diagnoses were valvular heart disease (590/ 100,000), syncope (440/100,000), and mitral valve prolapse (340/100,000). The most prominent differences between female and male adolescents were noted in the prevalence of: congenital valvular heart disease, syncope, history of hypertension, supraventricular tachycardia with pre-excitation, myocarditis and pericarditis, and bradycardia and conduction disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
The most prevalent cardiac disorders among 17-year-old Israelis were congenital valvular heart disease, syncope and mitral valve prolapse. Some significant differences were noted between the morbidity patterns among male and female adolescents. The higher prevalence of congenital valvular heart disease compared to non-valvular heart disease is surprising. The prevalence of hypertension among Israeli adolescents in the last 15 years remained stable.
Bar-Dayan
Yaron
Y
Surgeon General Headquarters, Israeli Air Force and Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, and Department of Health System Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheba, Israel.
Elishkevits
Keren
K
Goldstein
Liav
L
Goldberg
Avishay
A
Ohana
Nisim
N
Onn
Erez
E
Levi
Yehezkel
Y
Bar-Dayan
Yosefa
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D015995:Prevalence