Hypertension and years of driving in transit vehicle operators

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 greater than or equal to 140, or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 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 greater than or equal to 160, or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 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.