The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in normotensive, pre-hypertensive and hypertensive South African colliery executives

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors amongst South African colliery executives presenting normal blood pressure (normotensive), pre-hypertension and hypertension. Selected CVD risk factors of a non-randomized, available population of 143 Caucasian male executives from five South African collieries situated in Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces were recorded. Executives with pre-hypertension and hypertension exhibited a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, compared to the persons with normal blood pressure levels. The percentage of executives with CVD risk factors, with the exception of BMI, was greater amongst those with pre-hypertension than those with hypertension. The current study showed that a workplace CVD risk screening process was effective in identifying the relatively high prevalence of CVD risk factors amongst SA colliery executives. In addition, out of all the studied risk factors, undesirable body composition (BMI, WHR and fat %) exhibited the highest prevalence amongst pre-hypertensive and hypertensive SA colliery executives.