Hypertension and years of driving in transit vehicle operators

Abstract

In this study, data from transit vehicle operators of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), and a control group of individuals newly hired but not yet working as operators, were used to investigate prevalence of hypertension as a function of exposure to bus driving (years of driving), controlling for alcohol consumption and body mass index. Data were collected from transit vehicle operators in the course of their regular biennial examination during the period November 1983 to October 1985. Groups working as operators fewer than 10 years (n = 1137), from 10 to 20 years (n = 493), and more than 20 years (n = 196) were compared to each other and to a group of individuals with no prior exposure, but who were given a medical examination just before beginning their jobs as transit vehicle operators (n = 226). For hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure > or = 140, or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90, or taking hypertension medication), the prevalence, adjusted for age, race, and gender, increased in a stepwise fashion from 28.8 percent in the group with no exposure to 38.9 percent in the group of drivers with more than 20 years on the job. A similar pattern was found for moderate to severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 160, or diastolic blood pressure > or = 95, or hypertension medication). These patterns were diminished, but not eliminated, when body mass index and alcohol consumption were considered. Higher rates of separation from employment for hypertensive operators suggested that the effect of years of employment may be underestimated by this cross-sectional comparison. Prolonged exposure to operating a transit vehicle may be associated with increased hypertension; increased alcohol consumption and body mass index with increased years of driving may account for at least some of the increased hypertension.

Investigating obesity among professional drivers: The high risk professional driver study

“…The possible explanation is that long tenure as a professional driver might lead to sedentary behavior, lack of exercise, and poor diet, which contribute to the risk of obesity. Increased alcohol consumption and body mass index associated with increased years of driving among transit vehicle operators were suggested as possible causes of this increased hypertension [Ragland et al, ]. It is also possible that an increased risk of hypertension and obesity is related to the stress of driving long hours.…”

Hospital admissions among male drivers in Denmark

“…Professional driving has also been associated with a high relative risk for ischaemic heart disease (IHD),6 7 stroke,8prolapsed lumbar disc,9 prolapsed cervical disc,10 pain in neck and back,11 12gastrointestinal disorders,13 14 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 15. In San Francisco it was shown that hypertension increases with years employed as a transit vehicle operator,16 and from Denmark, it was reported that standardised hospital admission ratios (SHRs) among drivers of vehicles carrying passengers increased significantly in the period 1981–93 both for IHD and COPD 1517 Among bus drivers it has also been reported that the rates of sickness absence were increased 18…”

Coenzyme Q10‐containing composition (Immugen®) protects against occupational and environmental stress in workers of the gas and oil industry

“…The peculiar combination of extremely unfavorable environmental and occupational conditions inevitably leads the manual workers employed by gas-and-oil mining industry to severely adverse health effects [1][2][3]8,10,[23][24][25], partly similar to those of workers engaged in other wearing and stressful occupations [4][5][6][7][26][27][28]. They suffer a high incidence of severe chronic diseases, mainly cardio-vascular and neurological (central nervous system and vegetative regulation), with a large part of disabling and death cases due to traumas, caused by fatigue, neurological instability and lack of concentration and attention [1].…”