By Michelle Martin, MS, and LT Megan Casey, RN, BSN, MPH
Little is known about the cardiovascular risks for miners in the US as most research to date has focused on respiratory illness. Potential mining-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, noise, vibration, temperature extremes, and shift work combined with personal risk factors can put miners at greater risk of poor cardiovascular health. In an effort to better understand miners’ risk, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examined blood pressure and obesity, both risk factors for cardiovascular disease, among 1,402 miners in 2015. The research, recently released in the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, revealed that among the coal miners studied, blood pressures in the hypertensive range and obesity were higher than what would be expected for the US adult population. Nearly 8 of every 10 coal miners evaluated had blood pressure readings indicating either prehypertension or hypertension and nearly 9 of 10 were overweight or obese.