Cardiovascular Risk Factor Reduction in First Responders Resulting From an Individualized Lifestyle and Blood Test...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular disease research
• Public health interventions
• Occupational health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a significant risk to first responders.
• Traditional health programs may not adequately address the unique needs of this population.
• Identifying effective interventions to mitigate CVD risk factors in first responders is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that a lifestyle program can improve CVD risk factors in first responders.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a personalized, digitally-delivered lifestyle intervention.
• To assess the relationship between program adherence and health improvements.

Main Methods:

• A 1-year cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 175 first responders across 10 cities.
• Participants had increased waist circumference and/or low levels of large (α1) high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles.
• Intervention group received personalized online tools and telephonic coaching.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in body weight (P=.004) and waist circumference (P=.002).
• Significant increases in large (α1) HDL particles (P=.01) and decreases in triglycerides (P=.005) and insulin (P=.03).
• Program adherence was strongly associated with weight loss (P=.0005) and increased α1 HDL (P=.03).

Conclusions:

• A personalized lifestyle intervention effectively improved CVD risk factors in first responders.
• Improvements were proportional to program adherence.
• Changes in large HDL particles are more sensitive indicators of lifestyle changes than standard HDL-cholesterol measurements.