Cardiovascular risk and associated risk factors in Spanish professional drivers

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and are related to harmful lifestyles and certain professions such as being a professional driver. The aim of this study was to determine cardiovascular risk in professional drivers and the factors that influence it, with the intention of recommending improvements in their lifestyle habits. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was carried out on 24784 professional drivers (cab drivers and bus drivers) of both sexes (23,560 men and 1227 women) in different Spanish regions. Several variables and scales related to cardiovascular risk were assessed. In order to see if this type of profession produces an increase in cardiovascular risk. 27.8% of drivers were obese, 34.7% were hypertensive, and 48.7% had a high waist to height ratio. 46.5% were considered non-metabolically healthy, in that 24.9% had metabolic syndrome with the NCEP-ATPIII criteria, 19.2% with the IDF criteria, and 37.3% with JIS criteria. 26.9% had moderate or high values on the REGICOR scale and 29.5% on the SCORE scale. 32.7% had a high risk of hepatic steatosis. The cardiovascular risk of our drivers was high in men and moderate in women. Significant differences were found between men and women with regard to the habits of regular physical exercise and healthy eating, which could justify the lower cardiovascular risk in women. •The overall cardiovascular risk level of the drivers included in our study can be considered high, especially in men.•27.8% of our drivers have obesity.•The prevalence of hypertension among the drivers was 34.7%.•High blood glucose values were present in 29.5% of our drivers.•The prevalence of metabolic syndrome using the NCEP ATP III model was 24.9%.