Heart Disease and Fire Fighting

The leading killer of on-duty fire fighters is heart disease. One big reason for this is the stress related to the job, and heart disease does not only affect the elderly. Factors that can contribute to heart disease are lack of sleep or poor sleep habits, abdominal fat, traumatic stresses, physically demanding activities, and breathing toxic fumes. With more than 1 million people estimated to suffer a heart attack within the next year in the U.S. alone, here are some tips from FireEngineering.com to help prevent yourself from becoming one of them:

1.  Get an annual physical with a complete blood panel.
2.  Lower testosterone levels have been shown to be an independent risk factor for worse outcomes among men and women with heart failure. Low “T” also has been associated with decreased survival for men with coronary artery disease.
3.  Forget about diets and low fat! Eat a more healthful diet. There is no magic pill! (For more about the relation between diet and heart disease, click here.)
4.  Exercise, exercise, exercise. 30 minutes of aerobic activity is associated with a 70 percent reduction in heart attack risk over a year.
5.  Stay happy; be optimistic. It could save your life.

Between December 1, 2013 and December 1, 2014, there were 42 injuries related to cardiac symptoms/cardiac arrest reported to the commission. With better awareness, hopefully that number could be significantly lower next year and in the future. Keep up the good work, and take care of yourselves.