Firefighter work deaths often from cardiac arrest

(Reuters Health) — Most firefighters who die from cardiac arrest turn out to have narrowing of arteries or structural heart damage, a recent study suggests. Despite this obvious risk, research to date hasn’t offered a clear picture of why so many firefighters killed on the job die of cardiac arrest rather than from fire-related injuries.

Research shows that firefighters are more likely to suffer a cardiac event after fire-fighting versus station duties, said study leader Denise Smith, director of the First Responder Health and Safety Lab at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Researchers examined autopsy data from 627 male firefighters, ages 18 to 65, including 276 cardiac cases and 351 trauma cases.

Less than one in five cardiac cases were heart attack deaths, Smith said. Instead, 82 percent of those who died had coronary heart disease and cardiomegaly/left ventricular hypertrophy. While the study can’t prove whether or how working as a firefighter might make heart disease more likely, several aspects of the job could explain the connection. Exposure to smoke, soot and chemicals in the air, as well as disrupted sleep patterns and high levels of occupational stress might all contribute to heart problems, Smith noted.