IN THE NEWS
BLACK CAB TAXI DRIVERS MAY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE .....BUT THEY DON’T KNOW THEIR NUMBERS!!
Drivers of black taxis may have ‘The Knowl- edge’ but 75 per cent of them do not know their most vital statis- tics – their blood pressure numbers, according to new research from two blood pressure chari- ties.
The ‘Know your Num- bers!’ Survey, conducted by UK char- ity the Blood Pressure Association (BPA) in conjunction with Scot- tish charity the High Blood Pressure Foun- dation (HBPA), found that only a quarter of black cab drivers know their blood pressure numbers, yet 61 per cent of those tested were found to have high blood pressure
readings (at or above 140/90mmHg).
Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the major cause of strokes and heart attacks, and can also lead to dementia and kidney problems.
The findings, which were launched during the nation’s biggest blood pressure event, Know your Numbers! Week (7-13 Septem- ber), also revealed an England/Scotland divide when it comes to blood pressure health among cab drivers, with Scotland faring worst.
The research, carried out among black cab taxi drivers in London and Edinburgh, showed that 70 per
Cabbie Neville Chapman had his blood pressure taken by the BPA’s health screener Ashley Alcock Photo courtesy of Simon Goodwin
cent of cabbies in Scotland had high blood pressure read- ings compared with 52 per cent of their coun- terparts in England. Twice as many cabbies in Scotland (56 per cent) than in England
(27 per cent) said they ate convenience foods like pasties, crisps or chocolate bars either every day or several times a week.
Half of cabbies in Scotland (51 per cent) admitted to ‘never’
thinking about the salt they add to food or checking food labels for salt content, com- pared with a fifth (19 per cent) of their coun- terparts in England. Mike Rich, Executive Director of the BPA, said: “There does appear to be a blood pressure divide between the cabbies we tested in England and Scotland, and this may be down to their respective diets and lifestyles. Although Scotland fared worse, the fact that around half of the London cabbies had high readings is still cause for concern. “High blood pressure is the major cause of strokes and heart attacks, but millions of
lives could be saved if more people knew their blood pressure numbers and took action to lower them. “We hope that our research will encour- age cabbies, and all adults across the UK, to get their blood pressure checked and take that first step towards lifelong healthy blood pres- sure.”
Susan Inch, Director of the HBPA, said: “It’s worrying to see that nearly three quarters of the cabbies we test- ed here in Scotland had high blood pres- sure readings. The good news is that they now know their blood pressure numbers and how to lower them.”
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PHTM OCTOBER 2009
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