Supervisors info:
Σεραφείμ Νανάς, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Αναστάσιος Φιλίππου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ιωάννης Βασιλειάδης, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Background. The profession of a firefighter involves several risks of injury, disease, and death, with the leading causes being coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. The requirements of the profession are independent of age, and risk factors are detrimental to the health and fitness of firefighters, throughout their professional life. The purpose of this work is to investigate the physical level of firefighters and to examine whether there are risk factors for cardiopulmonary disease.
Methods and Results. The sample consisted of 26 male professional firefighters ≥ 35 years and service time ≥ 8 years who volunteered, completed a cardiovascular stratification questionnaire in healthy subjects and underwent a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Two age groups (group A, < 45 years, n=18), (group B, ≥ 45 years, n=8) were created in the analysis process and compared between them. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) > 42 ml/kg/min, was set as a minimum of fitness requirement, reaching 50% (n=13) in total and 25% (n=2) in the group B of participants. There was a decrease in the mean value of peak oxygen uptake (group A - VO2max = 42.78 ± 5.64 ml/kg/min, group B - VO2max = 35.25 ± 7.63 ml/kg/min, p=0.009) and the anaerobic threshold (ΑΤ < 50% της VO2peakpredicted) in total. 80.8% (n=21) of respondents had at least 1 CVD risk factor while 50% (n=4) of firefighters over 45 years had at least 3 risk factors. 25% (n=2) of group B had a body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2, while increased respiratory equivalent value was observed in group B (VE/VCO2slope ≥ 30, p<0.001). All participants in group B had a pelvic FEV1/FVC value < 80% FEV1/FVC predicted while 25% (n=2) had a maximal heart rate (HRmax) < 90% HRmax predicted.
Conclusion. CVD risk factors increase with age in firefighters, and exercise capacity decreases. Improving fitness and reducing modifiable risk factors can be achieved by preventive control and the use of exercise programs.
These results require an investigation of a larger sample size.
