Police work undermines cardiovascular health, comparison to general popula...( BUFFALO N.Y. -- It is well document...),Health
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why.
In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, University at Buffalo researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis -- arterial thickening that precedes a heart attack or stroke -- may be the stress of police work.
"We took lifestyle factors that generally are associated with atherosclerosis, such as exercise, smoking, diet, etc., into account in our comparison between citizens and the police officers," said John Violanti, Ph.D., UB associate professor of social and preventive medicine, who has been studying the police force in Buffalo, N.Y., for 10 years.
"These lifestyle factors were statistically controlled for in the analysis. This led to the conclusion that it is not the 'usual' heart-disease-related risk factors that increase the risk in police officers. It is something else. We believe that 'something else' is the occupation of policing."
Results of the study appear in the June issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Violanti and colleagues have been studying the role of cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," in these police officers to determine if stress is associated with physiological risk factors that can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In a study accepted for publication in Psychiatry Research that looked at the male-female differences in stress and signs of heart disease, Violanti found that female police officers had higher levels of cortisol when they awoke, and the levels remained high throughout the day. Cortisol normally is highest in the morning and decreases to its lowest point in the evening. The constantly high cortisol levels were associated with less arterial elasticit
'/>"/>
| Contact: Lois Baker ljbaker@buffalo.edu 716-645-5000 x1417 University at Buffalo Source:Eurekalert |
Related medicine news :
1. Drug Detection Kits Manufactured By IDenta Corp. Shown During French Television Broadcast (at TF1) - Product Aids French Police In Bust of 600 Kilograms Of Cocaine
2. Partnership for a Drug-Free America and Colorado Springs Police Department Introduce Methamphetamine Prevention Program to Colorado Law Enforcement
3. Nurses play a key role in police custody suites, complementing the traditional role of doctors
4. Serious Injury Rare With Police Tasers
5. Partnership for a Drug-Free America and Council Bluffs Police Department Introduce Methamphetamine Prevention Program to Iowa Law Enforcement
6. Philadelphia Police Officer Helps Amputee Receive Power Wheelchair From The SCOOTER Store
7. Philadelphia Policeman Helps Amputee Receive Power Wheelchair from The Scooter Store
8. Study shows power of police and fire officers as injury-prevention messengers
9. OrthoSynetics(TM) Donates Body Armor to New Orleans Police Department
10. MedeFile International Teams with Newark Fraternal Order of Police
11. No-nose bicycle saddles improve penile sensation and erectile function in bicycling police officers
| Copyright © 2003-2009 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |