The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for coronary he
art disease (CHD) in 2297 bus drivers and skilled workers from the Taipei M
unicipal Bus Administrative Bureau. Data for this study were compiled from
the medical records of annual physical examinations for bus drivers and ski
lled workers conducted at Taipei Municipal Chronic Disease Hospital during
the period from July 1998 to June 1999. The results showed that, after adju
stment for age, hypertension rates for bus drivers (56.0%, 986/1361) were s
ignificantly greater than for skilled workers (30.6%, 164/536). All age gro
ups demonstrated a similar difference. Significant differences were also no
ted in body mass index, serum cholesterol, serum triglyceride and ischemic
heart disease between bus drivers and skilled workers. Among bus drivers, t
he prevalence of obesity was 9.6%, hypercholesterolemia 34.0%, hypertriglyc
eridemia 69.4% and ischemic heart disease 1.7%. By contrast, among skilled
workers, the prevalence of obesity was only 4.6%, hypercholesterolemia 29.9
%, hypertriglyceridemia 30.6% and ischemic heart disease 0.9%. These findin
gs suggest that exposure to the occupation of driving a bus may carry an in
creased risk of CHD and that drivers who develop signs of cardiovascular il
lness should be transferred to non-driving occupations within the company.