Volunteer and Career French Firefighters With High Cardiovascular Risk: Epidemiology and Exercise Tests.

Abstract

We aim to identify cardiovascular risk factors in firefighters of Loire (French district) with a high cardiovascular risk and report results of a screening program using exercise tests. A retrospective descriptive study was performed in a cohort of 158 career and 400 volunteer firefighters with a high cardiovascular risk who had undergone an exercise test. Five hundred fifty-eight exercise tests and cardiovascular profiles were analyzed. Prevalence was 18% for high blood pressure, 19% for dyslipidemia, and 48% for overweight. Exercise tests were positive in 91 cases (16.3%): sensitivity, 53%; specificity, 74%. Risk of onset of a predictive event was higher in the high-risk group: odds ratio, 3.2 (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 5.1). There were more events on exercise test in volunteer firefighters. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the cohort of firefighters was acceptable in comparison to French general population and other firefighters' cohort. Physical training of volunteer firefighters needs reinforcing.