Screen For High Blood Pressure

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High blood pressure, if left untreated, greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and congestive heart failure. In fact, cardiovascular disease accounts for 13.5 times as many deaths among workers as industrial accidents. Annual cost to industry: approximately 26.7 million workdays representing $1.3 billion in earnings.

But the problem can be controlled by screening employees to identify the ones with high blood pressure. Smaller companies without a health officer on staff sometimes pool financial resources and hire a health technician or nurse to do the screening and follow-up on a rotating basis.

Nonprofessionals can also be trained to administer tests, and instruction is often available through the local American Heart Association, state and local health departments, or area hospitals. For referrals and the "High Blood Pressure Control in the Worksetting" kit, write: Worksetting, High Blood Pressure Information Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 120/80 National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20205.