Study Finds Heart Disease An Epidemic For Firefighters
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?id=9174&siteSection=1
Ex-firefighter recalls missed warnings of heart problems
March 04, 2009
http://www.ems1.com/ems-products/health-wellness/articles/458051-Ex-firefighter-recalls-missed-warnings-of-heart-problems
Study Targets Firefighters' Heart-Attack Risk
Aug 25, 2008
http://firechief.com/news/heart_attacks_0825/
The study also found that:
Recognition and Prevention of Occupational Heart Diseases
http://www.iaff.org/hs/PDF/IAFF%20Heart%20Manual.pdf
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?id=9174&siteSection=1
ATLANTA , March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- H. Robert Superko , MD, principal investigator in the landmark FEMA-sponsored study of firefighters aged 40 and over conducted at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta , released preliminary findings in the world's first study of first responders at risk of suffering sudden death or other significant cardiac events. Firefighters are known to have a three hundred percent increased risk for cardiac disease as compared to other segments of the population.
Ex-firefighter recalls missed warnings of heart problems
March 04, 2009
http://www.ems1.com/ems-products/health-wellness/articles/458051-Ex-firefighter-recalls-missed-warnings-of-heart-problems
PONTIAC, Ill. — John Rodino thought he was doing everything right.
A 39-year-old firefighter, he ran and lifted weights every day and ate fruits and vegetables.
But the lifelong Pontiac resident didn’t have his cholesterol checked. That was his first mistake.
When he began having a heart attack, he went into denial and didn’t immediately call 911. That was his second mistake.
His life hasn’t been the same since that first heart attack seven years ago. Now 46, Rodino has had a second heart attack, has had an amazing 18 stents inserted into blood vessels to keep them open and has undergone double-bypass heart surgery.
Study Targets Firefighters' Heart-Attack Risk
Aug 25, 2008
http://firechief.com/news/heart_attacks_0825/
The study also found that:
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- Firefighters' hearts react immediately to changing conditions. Heart rates spiked when a dispatcher informed firefighters that a family was trapped in a burning house.</I>
- The risk of heart attack remains high for several hours after a fire.
- Among the tasks a firefighter performs, rescuing a victim is the most strenuous. Fighting a fire puts the second-most strain on his or her heart.
- The job taxes hearts even when firefighters are not working. Firefighters sleeping at the fire station had higher heart rates than when they slept at home.
- Excessively hot or cold weather heightens the risk of a heart attack.
- Volunteer firefighters are at a higher risk for heart attacks than professional firefighters. Inconsistent training regimens are suspected to be responsible for the difference.
Recognition and Prevention of Occupational Heart Diseases
http://www.iaff.org/hs/PDF/IAFF%20Heart%20Manual.pdf