Prevalence of Smoking and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Power Grid Workers

Introduction: Smoking is a risk factor that contributes the most to premature mortality and disability from a whole range of malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Industrial workers are more likely to smoke compared to the general population, which may lead to a greater risk of their health impairment. Objective: To analyze the relationship between the prevalence of smoking and the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system in power grid workers. Materials and methods: 2,651 men were examined at the clinic of Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health and divided into two groups of 1,107 non-smokers and 1,544 smokers. The examination included collection of a medical history, height and weight measurements, calculation of the body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, and blood testing for glucose, cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. The data were analyzed using Statistica 10.0 with the calculation of the means, their standard errors, minimum and maximum values for all indicators in the study groups; the analysis of the contingency tables was carried out using the chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the smokers was significantly higher than in the non-smokers of all age groups, but for those aged 30 to 39 years. The number of workers with high total cholesterol (≥ 6.2 mmol/L) and, therefore, increased cardiovascular risks was statistically higher among the smokers aged 50–59 years (χ2 = 5.323, p = 0.022) and 60 years and older (χ2 = 4.475, p = 0.035). The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein posing a high cardiovascular risk (> 3 mg/L) was statistically higher in the smoking than in non-smoking workers. Conclusion: Our findings show the necessity of considering smoking habits within pre-employment and periodic medical examinations in order to prevent risks of developing new or exacerbating already existing cardiovascular diseases.