Cardiovascular risk markers in firefighters : A longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in cardiovascular risk factors for a group of firefighters (n=74) over a 6-year period. Subjects were full-time firefighters employed by a moderate-to-large municipality. Each subject was tested a minimum of 4 out of a possible 7 years (x=5.97) and underwent an assessment of body fat percentage (by underwater weighing), body weight, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and grip strength. Blood analysis was performed by a College of American Pathologists-accredited laboratory; grip strength was assessed using a handgrip dynamometer. Functional aerobic impairment was computed using age norms and a time-on-treadmill estimation of aerobic capacity (VO 2max ). A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results showed little significant change over time in cardiovascular risk markers. However, VO 2max was found to be below age-predicted averages, and body fat percentage was found to be significantly above age-predicted averages.