World Trade Center (WTC) Exposures and Cardiometabolic Risk Among WTC Health Program General Responders

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Cardiology

Background:

• The September 11, 2001 attacks led to significant environmental exposures for World Trade Center (WTC) responders.
• Long-term health consequences, including cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), are a growing concern for this population.
• Understanding the relationship between WTC exposures and CMDs is crucial for public health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between World Trade Center (WTC) exposures and the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs).
• To examine how WTC exposures influence the trajectories of glucose levels and systolic blood pressure (SBP) over time.
• To analyze these associations among general responders enrolled in the WTC Health Program (WTHPGR).

Main Methods:

• Utilized monitoring visit data from 47,795 WTC Health Program general responders (WTHPGR) from 2003 to 2021.
• Assessed WTC exposures through questionnaires and measured cardiometabolic parameters during study visits.
• Employed survival analyses for CMD risk and logistic regressions for trajectory associations.

Main Results:

• Increased days on-site post-attack were associated with higher risks of diabetes and hypertension.
• Increased hours on-site during September 2001 correlated with worsening glucose and SBP trajectories.
• Specific quantitative associations were provided with hazard ratios and odds ratios, including 95% confidence intervals.

Conclusions:

• World Trade Center (WTC) exposures are significantly associated with an elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs).
• These exposures also contribute to adverse trends in glucose and systolic blood pressure (SBP) over time.
• Linking WTC exposures to these emerging health issues is vital for managing healthcare costs and ensuring treatment access for WTHPGR.