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Risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis in firefighters

Jefferey L Burgess1, Margaret Kurzius-Spencer, Richard D Gerkin

  • 1Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. jburgess@email.arizona.edu

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|February 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Firefighter heart disease risk is high. This study found age, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol predict increased carotid artery thickness, while age, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, and soluble P-selectin predict plaque.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Occupational Health
  • Medical Ultrasound

Background:

  • Heart disease is the primary cause of firefighter fatalities.
  • Early detection of atherosclerosis is crucial for preventing cardiac events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess early atherosclerotic disease in firefighters using carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ultrasound.
  • To identify risk factors associated with increased CIMT and carotid plaque formation.

Main Methods:

  • Ultrasound evaluation of carotid arteries in 597 firefighters from Phoenix and Tucson.
  • Logistic regression analysis to determine predictors of elevated CIMT and carotid plaque.

Main Results:

  • Significant predictors of increased CIMT included age, LDL cholesterol (≥100 mg/dL), and HDL cholesterol.
  • Predictors of carotid plaque were age, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, and plasma soluble P-selectin.

Conclusions:

  • Emphasize traditional risk factors for atherosclerotic disease in firefighters, particularly maintaining LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL.
  • Plasma soluble P-selectin may serve as a biomarker for identifying firefighters at higher risk of carotid plaque.
Abstract

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