Volunteer and Career French Firefighters With High Cardiovascular Risk: Epidemiology and Exercise Tests
Angélique Savall1, Rodolphe Charles, Jeremy Binazet
1Department of Education and Research in General Practice, Saint-Etienne Jean Monnet University, Saint Priest en Jarez, France (Drs Savall, Charles); SDIS 42, Fire and Rescue Department of Saint Etienne, Saint Etienne cedex, France (Drs Charles, Frey); Public Health, University Hospital, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez cedex, France (Dr Trombert); Department of Occupational Health, University Hospital, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez cedex, France (Drs Fontana, Pelissier); University Lyon 1, University of St Etienne, IFSTTAR, UMRESTTE, UMR-T9405, Saint Etienne, France (Drs Fontana, Pelissier); and Clinical and Exercise Physiology, EA 4607 SNA EPIS, University Hospital and Jean Monnet University, PRES Lyon, Saint-Etienne, France (Drs Savall, Trombert, Barthélémy).
Objective:
We aim to identify cardiovascular risk factors in firefighters of Loire (French district) with a high cardiovascular risk and report results of a screening program using exercise tests.
Methods:
A retrospective descriptive study was performed in a cohort of 158 career and 400 volunteer firefighters with a high cardiovascular risk who had undergone an exercise test.
Results:
Five hundred fifty-eight exercise tests and cardiovascular profiles were analyzed. Prevalence was 18% for high blood pressure, 19% for dyslipidemia, and 48% for overweight. Exercise tests were positive in 91 cases (16.3%): sensitivity, 53%; specificity, 74%. Risk of onset of a predictive event was higher in the high-risk group: odds ratio, 3.2 (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 5.1). There were more events on exercise test in volunteer firefighters.
Conclusion:
Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the cohort of firefighters was acceptable in comparison to French general population and other firefighters' cohort. Physical training of volunteer firefighters needs reinforcing.
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