BLOOD-PRESSURE VARIABILITY AT ANNUAL PERIODIC HEALTH EXAMINATION FOR EMPLOYEES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS

The employees with hypertension at the annual periodic health examinat ion (HE) for employees in Japan usually receive a re-examination of bl ood pressure (BP) on another day and are often found to be normotensiv e. In this study, we analyzed data from the HE at the workplace to det ermine whether or not such employees should receive medical care, Two groups of subjects were selected. One group (group 1) was composed of 50 subjects with normotension at the HE (controls). Another group (gro up 2) was composed of 33 subjects with hypertension at the annual HE b ut with normotension in re-examinations. Cardiovascular risk factors w ere significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1: mean values of th e body mass index (group 1, 22.2 +/- 2.7 vs. group 2, 24.3 +/- 3.1 kg/ m(2), p < 0.01), total cholesterol (group 1, 197 +/- 36 vs. group 2, 2 22 +/- 42 mg/dl, p < 0.01), and low density lipoprotein (group 1, 118 +/- 32 vs, group 2, 137 +/- 33 mg/dl, p < 0.05), The proportion of the employees with high-normal BP in group 2 (42.5%) was significantly hi gher than that in group 1 (28.0%) (p < 0.01). These indicate that the employees with hypertension at the annual HE but with normotension in the re-examination require further medical attention and should receiv e medical supervision. The occupational physician should supervise the se employees.