Ten-year follow-up of worksite hypertension control programs

We have analyzed the control of hypertension and the demographics of 898 actively treated (AT) (visits within past 12 months) and inactive patients (IAT) (no visit for at least 12 months) in six worksite hypertension programs established in 1977. Results were analyzed using Student's t test and correlation coefficients. Patients are treated at the worksites by a nurse-physician team using a stepped-care protocol. In the AT group (n = 436), the mean age was 52 +/- 0.5 years, initial blood pressure (BP) was 152 +/- 1/97 +/- 0.5 mm Hg, and current BP was 136 +/- 0.7/86 +/- 0.04 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Of the 436 patients, 194 were men and 242 were women (217 Caucasian and 156 black). In the IAT group (n = 462) mean age was 51 +/- 0.5 years, initial BP was 154 +/- 1/99 +/- 0.5 mm Hg, and last BP was 138/88 +/- 0.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Of these, 171 were men and 291 were women (238 Caucasian and 171 black). No differences in initial and current BP were noted when comparing the AT with the IAT group. The percent of Caucasian (43%) and blacks (36%) men in the AT group was similar to those in the IAT group (37%). Control of hypertension at worksites where blacks predominate was similar to sites where Caucasians predominate. We conclude that worksite control of hypertension over a 10-year period maintains approximately 50% of the initial population under treatment. Control rates greater than 80% to less than 90 mm Hg diastolic are present despite heterogeneity in demographics.