The New Orleans Police Department: Hypertension Project

Abstract

The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Hypertension Project was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a nurse-operated worksite clinic in identifying and reducing hypertension and related cardiovascular risk factors in a selected group of police department employees. A total of 1,017 individuals (70% of whom were white male police officers) were screened for hypertension and other risk factors. Of these, 129 had hypertension (BP greater than 140/90 mmHg) and were entered into one of four treatment protocols: 1) Comprehensive follow-up (those employees who consented to a history, physical examination, serum chemistry, and electrocardiogram, and subsequent pharmacological protocol treatment by the nurses at NOPD); 2) no medications (those employees with elevated blood pressure who elected not to receive any forms of pharmacotherapy, but agreed to other risk factor reduction; 3) thosewho received treatment by their private physicians; and 4) thosewho refused to participate in the program. The patients were followed for 24 months. In the first group, initial pressure levels of 144/98 were reduced to 129/84 (–15/ –14) mmHg. The second group of individuals, those who received no drugs, demonstrated a pressure reduction from 142/92 to 133/86 (– 9/ –6) mmHg. The third group, those treated by personal physicians, demonstrated little change in pressure (from 151/97 to 149/96 mmHg). Those who refused participation also showed no change in pressure (140/96 mmHg before and after). Risk factor modification occurred in variable percentages for the total population. These data support the concept that professional nurses can participate effectively in hypertension and risk factor modification at the worksite.