Cardiovascular Disease Among Loggers and Commercial Fishermen: A Preliminary Risk Assessment

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, and suitable interventions are needed for prevention. Certain occupations can create barriers to accessing healthcare while also being a driving force behind lifestyle behaviors that increase risk of CVD. This study analyzed the Framingham 10-year risk for developing coronary heart disease (CHD), among Maine loggers and commercial fishermen residing in Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Alaska compared to the general population of working adults.

Between 2019 and 2024, loggers and commercial fishermen engaged in health screenings via three studies. Self-reported data regarding health behaviors, as well as anthropometric and biomarker measures, were collected at each screening and were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for a sample of working adults. Women were excluded due to their limited representation in the logging and commercial fishing populations. Framingham Risk Scores (FRS) for Hard CHD were established for each population, and comparisons were made based on both overall risk and component risk factors.

This study included 44 loggers, 164 commercial fishermen, and 1073 working adults from the NHANES cohort. Commercial fishermen had the highest estimated 10-year FRS with an average of 6.95%, followed by the NHANES sample at 6.39% and loggers with 5.70%.

Though this study demonstrates loggers and commercial fishermen have a similar CVD risk profile to other working aged men, this risk for all three groups is higher than ideal. This study indicates a need to better understand risk among these populations, as well as how the occupational setting can be used for future intervention.