Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Changes Over 5 Years Among Male and Female US Firefighters

To examine changes in measures of cardiovascular health in male and female firefighters over 5 years.

Anthropometrics and biomarkers of cardiovascular health from two occupational medical exams separated by 5 years (2009 to 2016) were examined from a cohort of US career firefighters in Virginia (males, n = 603; females, n = 69). Changes over time were tested using paired t-tests and McNemar's tests.

At baseline, 29% of males and 10% of females were obese. Body weight and body mass index significantly increased (P < 0.05) in males (2.5 ± 0.2 kg) (0.8 ± 0.1 kg·m) and females (2.5 ± 0.8 kg) (1.0 ± 0.3 kg·m) over the 5-year period. The prevalence of obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hypertensive medication usage, and high blood glucose significantly increased in males over the 5-year period.

While improvements in blood pressure were observed, large percentages of firefighters, particularly males, had cardiovascular disease risk factors that increased over time.