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

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Cardiovascular epidemiology
• Public health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global cause of mortality.
• Occupations can influence lifestyle behaviors and healthcare access, impacting CVD risk.
• Understanding CVD risk in specific working populations is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) using Framingham Risk Scores (FRS) in loggers and commercial fishermen.
• To compare CVD risk profiles of these occupational groups with the general working adult population.
• To identify potential areas for occupational health interventions.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 2019-2024 through health screenings of loggers and commercial fishermen.
• Included self-reported health behaviors, anthropometric measures, and biomarkers.
• Compared Framingham Risk Scores (FRS) for Hard CHD with a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort of working adults (excluding women).

Main Results:

• The study included 44 loggers, 164 commercial fishermen, and 1073 NHANES participants.
• Commercial fishermen had the highest estimated 10-year FRS (6.95%), followed by NHANES participants (6.39%), and loggers (5.70%).
• All groups exhibited a higher-than-ideal CVD risk profile.

Conclusions:

• Loggers and commercial fishermen share similar CVD risk profiles with other working-aged men.
• The CVD risk for all studied groups exceeds ideal levels.
• Occupational settings present opportunities for future CVD prevention interventions.