[Attitude to health matters among middle-aged men in a program to prevent ischemic heart disease]. / Otnoshenie k voprosam zdorov'ia u muzhchin srednego vozrasta v programme po profilaktike ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa.

The authors studied the health-related attitudes (to prophylaxis, one's own health, physicians, bad habits) in men aged 40-59 years invited to participate in the programme of the multifactorial prophylaxis of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke among the population. A total of 6803 men filled in a questionnaire consisting of 47 points mailed to them together with an invitation to take part in a screening examination. The results obtained showed that the elderly men responded favourably to the conduction of preventive procedures and to advice to change the smoking habits but less favourably toward recommendations to increase physical activity and change the diet.

[Use of muscle relaxation in the primary prevention of ischemic heart disease]. / Primenenie myshechnoi relaksatsii v sisteme pervichnoi profilaktiki ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa.

Possibilities of using muscular relaxation as a general hygienic procedure that helps reducing the risk of coronary disease were examined in males and females from an open random population at preventive group sessions. Their ability to learn the techniques of muscular relaxation and the effects of relaxation on arterial pressure were assessed. A course of four group sessions completed by 23.23% of volunteers was sufficient for 86.36% of males and 91.49% of females to learn the command of muscular relaxation. Arterial pressure decreased significantly between the beginning of the first session and the last one (p less than 0.01), the lowered level persisting at the control session in three months' time (p less than 0.01). Muscular relaxation is expected to provide a useful element of preventive population programs aimed at reducing moderately elevated arterial pressure.