PubMedDate not supplied
In this paper, the authors tried to establish the association of alcoholism with arterial hypertension as well as with risk factors for atherosclerosis, which are invariably accompanying arterial hypertension, in engine-room personnel (N = 80), in other seamen of the "Jugolinija" (N = 119), and in the control group which was made up of employees of the Technical Department, Shipyard, "3. maj", Rijeka (N = 108). The chi 2-test showed a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of alcoholism, and the t-test a statistically significant difference in the daily consumption of alcohol between the two groups of seamen and the control group. The prevalence of alcoholism and the daily consumption of alcohol were higher in seamen. There were no such differences between the two groups of seamen. Similarly, arterial hypertension was more prevalent and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were higher in the two groups of seamen compared with the control group. Since, there were no significant linear correlations between the alcohol consumption and SBP and DBP, it could not be said that higher values of SBP and DBP were positively related to the greater consumption of alcohol in seamen as compared to the control group. No significant linear correlation was found between alcohol consumption and studied risk factors too. However, higher prevalence of arterial hypertension in alcoholics among the engine-room personnel suggested some association of the alcohol consumption with arterial hypertension.