title: Prospective surveillance of hypertension in firefighters.
abstract: The authors evaluated blood pressure and antihypertensive medication use in 334 firefighters in an occupational medical surveillance program. Firefighters received written summaries of their examination results, including blood pressures, and were encouraged to see their personal physicians for any abnormal results. The mean age of the participants was 39 years, and the vast majority were men (n=330). The prevalence of hypertension was 20% at baseline (1996), 23% in 1998, and 23% in 2000. Among firefighters with high blood pressure readings, only 17%, 25%, and 22% were taking antihypertensive medications at the baseline, 1998, and 2000 examinations, respectively. Medical surveillance was effective in detecting hypertension in firefighters; however, after 4 years of follow-up, only 42% of hypertensives were receiving treatment with medications, including only 22% of firefighters with hypertensive readings. Overall, 74% of hypertensives were not adequately controlled. Possible reasons for low treatment rates may be the inadequate recognition among primary care physicians that mild hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: The Cambridge Hospital Department of Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Health, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Elpidoforos S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Soteriades
authors.forename: Stefanos N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kales
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liarokapis
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Christiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol