Vascular problems triggered by vigorous activity in firefighters

Researchers at the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Institute have found that firefighters who died of heart attacks and other vascular problems while on the job were most often doing vigorous physical activity right before the attack.

The researchers gathered data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that had been received by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1998 to 2012 on deaths that occurred while firefighters were on duty. The data collected rated the activities the firefighters were engaged in prior to the cardiovascular event as either ‘light to moderate’ or ‘vigorous’.

There were 199 fatal cardiovascular events while firefighters were on duty: 167 heart attacks, 12 irregular heartbeats, three strokes and other cardiovascular causes. A total of 148 of the events occurred after vigorous activity lasting an average of 33 min. Those who died were an average of 49 years old and had served an average of 22 years as firefighters.

Study author Dr Amna Zarar said a total of 88 of the firefighters were actively engaged in fighting a fire at the time of the cardiovascular event, at least 61 of which were responding to an emergency. About 35% of the events occurred at the fire station, triggered by fitness training or lifting heavy fire hoses or other equipment.

“Knowing that these fatal heart attacks and other vascular events occur relatively frequently, fire departments and other workplaces need to be prepared to recognise these events and screen for those who may be at higher risk,” said Dr Zarar.

Such screening should include tests for high cholesterol, blood sugar tests for diabetes and stress EKG tests, she added. Of the 148 firefighters who had engaged in vigorous physical activity, 94 had high cholesterol, 93 had high blood pressure, 42 were smokers, 22 had diabetes and 46 had family members with heart disease.

“People also need more awareness of the symptoms and signs that can precede or occur with a heart attack or stroke,” Dr Zarar said, “along with better screening for risk factors with regular health check-ups.”

The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 66th Annual Meeting, to be held from 26 April-3 May in Philadelphia.

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