‘75% of taxi drivers have high blood pressure’

THREE out of four Irish taxi drivers suffer from high blood pressure and most are unaware that they have a serious health problem, a survey has revealed.

Just 12% of taxi drivers were aware of their condition.

The survey also found that 94% of those tested were not aware of the implications of a high blood pressure diagnosis.

Over 100 taxi drivers were randomly selected and tested for high blood pressure earlier this month at Dublin Airport.

Results of the survey, released yesterday to coincide with World Hypertension Day, shocked Irish Taxi Drivers Federation president John Ussher.

“I think an awful lot of stress goes with the job but I never thought for a minute that the figure would be as high as that,” he said.

“The statistics are alarming and we will have to take advice to see what we can do to try and reduce them,” he said.

But National Taxi Drivers Union vice president Margaret Nugent, was not at all surprised by the survey results.

“Taxi drivers have a very stressful job. They work in a closed confined space and have to deal with the public and the traffic.”

Ms Nugent added that taxi drivers were now having to work longer hours to maintain their income because of rising fuel costs.

The number of Irish taxi drivers suffering from hypertension was considerably higher than global statistics, which put the proportion of people suffering from the condition at 20%.

Chairman of the Irish Heart Foundation’s Council on High Blood Pressure, Dr Alice Stanton pointed out that almost half of Irish deaths were due to cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.

And, she said, almost two-thirds of strokes and about half of heart attacks are attributable to poor blood pressure control.

“These latest figures concerning high levels of blood pressure are exceedingly worrying,” she said.

“It is data such as this that has prompted the Irish Heart Foundation to plan a public information campaign on blood pressure for Irish Heart Week at the end of September this year.”

Up to 70% of the one billion people worldwide with high blood pressure remain above the recommended goal, leaving them at significant risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, vascular and kidney damage.

Results of a global survey released yesterday also identified a need for better patient education so that they can take a shared role in achieving a blood pressure goal.