Prevalence of hypertension among professional drivers: Evidence from 2000 to 2017—A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of premature deaths worldwide. Drivers have an additional risk of hypertension when compared to the general population because of the nature of their profession. Hence, the current review was done to estimate the global burden of hypertension among professional drivers. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search for articles on the prevalence of hypertension among drivers published from 2000 to 2017 in Medline and Embase. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model and pooled prevalence of hypertension was reported. Heterogeneity was assessed using the likelihood ratio (LR) test and publication bias was assessed using Egger's test. RESULTS: In total, 26 studies with 15,702 drivers were included. The pooled prevalence of hypertension among the drivers worldwide was 34% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27–40%). World Health Organization (WHO) region-wise estimates showed that prevalence was highest among the drivers in the Western Pacific region (56%) and lowest in the Eastern Mediterranean and African region (21%). Studies showed significant evidence of heterogeneity (Χ(2) = 1816.1, P < 0.001) but there was no significant publication bias (P = 0.967). CONCLUSION: More than one-third of drivers have hypertension globally which is in excess of the general population. Hence, more focus needs to be given for allocating resources and developing workplace interventions for prevention and control of hypertension.