CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN 4215 SUBJE CTS FROM SERVICE AND MANUFACTURING-INDUSTRIES (A CESAME INQUIRY)

A prospective transversal study was undertaken by occupational health physicians on more than 4 000 individuals including almost 800 women w orking in the same company with the following aims : a) to compare the prevalence of 2 certain number of classically recognized cardiovascul ar risk factors in 2 types of populations, service versus manufacturin g industries, in the Paris region ; and b) to understand these populat ions better so as to develop educational and information campaigns spe cifically adopted to their needs. Several elements were recorded in a computer data bank during the physical examination blood pressure, blo od cholesterol, smoking history, blood triglycerides, blood sugar, the ratio of measured to theoretical weight and physical activity. For ea ch of these parameters, a value above a determined threshold level was defined as a risk factor. For men working in service industries, the percentageS of heavy smokers (24 %), hypercholesterolemia (18 %), and hyperglycemia (7 %) were significantly higher than in the manufacturin g sector (19.3, 15 and 2.4 %, respectively). In manufacturing industri es, the percentages of men with hypertension (15 %), hypertriglyceride mia (10 %), who were overweight (24 %) or had a low high density lipop rotein level (10 %) were significantly higher than in the service sect or (3.1, 7.5, 20 or 8.2 %, respectively). The percentage of women smok ing more than 20 g of tobacco per day (25.5 %) in the service sector w as significantly higher than that in manufacturing industries (4.25 %) . In contrast, in the manufacturing sector, the percentages of hyperte nsive (6 %) and obese (24 %) women were significantly higher than thos e in the service industries (1.1 and 16 %, respectively). In both sect ors. the percentage of men fitting the criteria of risk was higher tha n that of women, with the exception of women in service industries who were heavy smokers for whom the percentage was the same as that for m en. The two populations differed primarily in their professional categ ory, life-style and physical activity.