Prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in workers of petrochemical industry. The Pavia Study.

The survey carried out in the large sample (2379 workers) of petrochemical industry in Lombardia region was intented to provide current estimates of prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in the industrial population. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure (borderline hypertension and definite hypertension) was 40% in men and 19% in women, the rate for definite hypertension were 17% in men and 7% in women. The relative impact of age and weight on blood pressure status appeared to be rather substantial. Estimated positive effects of the weight control program cold have reduced the prevalence of hypertension by about 45%. The survey data confirmed that subjects with hypertension were more often dyslipidemic, had higher blood glucose and serum uric acid levels than normotensive persons. It was rather intriguing to find very clear, however, not very strong effect of uric acid level on blood pressure also among normotensive workers. The importance of this factor may be strengthened by the fact that there was also statistically significant association between the changes in the optic fundi and serum uric acid level after controlling for age and blood pressure. The results of the study disclosed the positive effects of physical activity at leisure on blood pressure status and this was independent on weight and age. The high consumption of wine increased the relative risk of hypertension mainly in men. On the basis of the survey data collected it was not possible to confirm a definite relationship between smoking and hypertension.