The Impact of Alcohol and Herbal Consumption on the Cardiovascular Health Status of Commercial Automobile Drivers in Ibadan

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of non-communicable diseases with a rising burden in Nigeria.Commercial automobile driving is an occupation with associated risks that may worsen the burden among the population concerned.A cross-sectional survey of 1713 automobile drivers across Ibadan showed a predominantly male population with more than half in the 36-49 years age bracket, and 74.6% with at least secondary level of education.44.7% of them have been working for 5-10 years, mostly working for 9-16 hours a day (96.3%) and 6-7 days in a week (96.2%).The long hours of work, prevalence of alcohol consumption (44.4%), and prevalence of herbal consumption (87.7%) may have contributed to the difference in the proportion of the population with previously diagnosed hypertension (2.3%) and the proportion observed to be hypertensive during the study (13.3%).A significant association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence of hypertension, pedal oedema and other diagnosed chronic illnesses were also observed.In contrast, no significant association was noted between herbal consumption and the parameters of the cardiovascular health status observed.It is concluded that although the prevalence of hypertension in this population was lower than previously reported in mixed community samples, the significant association between alcohol use and elevated blood pressure underscores the vulnerability of this occupational group.