Prevalence of classic cardiovascular risk factors in a group of 4,996 mediterranean male workers

Aim of the study, To report a cross-sectional study on the incidence of car diovascular risk factors among 4,996 male workers (mean age = 47 years) at an automobile factory in the Spanish mediterranean region. Methods. The following parameters were obtained by means of standardized fo rms, medical visits and laboratory exams: obesity Indexes, smoking habits, family history of atherosclerosis, physical activity, blood pressure at res t, abnormal electrocardiogram, total cholesterol, plasma triglycerides, lip idemia, and fasting glucose. The results are presented by age,groups and la boral categories (manual work or managing activities). Results. Family history was positive in 27.2% of individuals; 43.7% were sm okers. A body mass index greater than or equal to 30 was presented in 19% o f the population, while in 29% blood pressure readings were greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg. Plasma values of triglycerides greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl, total cholesterol greater than or equal to 220 mg/dl and fas ting glucose greater than or equal to 110 mg/dl appeared in 16.5%; 35.8% an d 8.1% respectively. An abnormal electrocardiogram was presented in 3.1% of the patients. A hundred and twenty individuals (2.4%) presented the tried high blood pressure-smoking-hipercholesterolemia. Conclusions. a) There is a high level of overweight and obesity; b) high bl ood pressure has similar prevalence to the general population of same age, and almost doubly prevalent among managers than manual workers; c) smoking and sedentarism were less prevalent than in general population, smoking bei ng more frequent in manual workers; d) lipid levels are very similar to tho se of Mediterranean populations of same age.