UI researchers study firefighters' heart risks
CHAMPAIGN — Firefighters know all too well the risk to their hearts goes up when go charging out to battle a fire.
Now, researchers at the University of Illinois are uncovering new clues about what's going on inside firefighters' bodies after they get back to the station from those strenuous emergency calls.
Specifically: Three hours of firefighting activity caused arteries to stiffen, along with cardiac fatigue, in young healthy male firefighters who had been medically cleared to take part in live-fire activities, according to the study published in the journal Vascular Medicine.
The study was written by Gavin Horn, director of research at the Illinois Fires Service Institute, and Bo Fernhall, a UI professor of kinesiology and community health.
Horn and Fernhall said the changes in firefighters' arteries appear to be similar to what occurs after heavy resistance or aerobic exercise.
That's likely due to the combination of stresses — such as lifting and dragging heavy equipment and forcible entry, they said.
Last year, where were 72 on-duty firefighter deaths in the U.S. Of the 39 related to stress, exertion and other medical-related issues, 34 were classified as sudden cardiac events, usually heart attacks, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
A 2007 Harvard study found firefighters are up to 100 times more at risk for a heart attack when they're fighting a fire than at other times.
For the UI study, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, the firefighters ranged from age 19-48 and many were overweight. They wore full firefighter gear and took part in four to five typical fire suppression activities for 15 to 25 minutes each, with 10 to 15 minutes of rest in between.
Shortly before and afterward, researchers measured their vital signs and arterial stiffness and thickness.
What's not clear from the UI's new findings, according to Fernhall, is whether short-term stiff artery is a contributing factor for a heart episode right after a firefighting activity.
Vascular Stiffening Hypertension - News
There's a great deal of overweight and obesity and lot of hypertension." Horn said further study at the UI funded by the Department of Homeland Security will continue looking at the effect of firefighters taking baby aspirin before going out on
The majority of cases are caused by atherosclerosis, where plaque made of fats and cholesterol accumulates in the arterial walls and causes them to stiffen and narrow, leading to reduced blood flow to the kidneys. This can result in hypertension that
The Dangers of High Blood Pressure | MyPennyAuctionSite.com
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What Is Blood Pressure?
Blood is pumped through the body via the heart. The blood carries oxygen from the lungs to all of the cells and organs along the circuitous route of the arterial vascular system . Deoxygenated blood is carried via the venous system back to the lungs where it picks up more oxygen.
To move that blood, there is a certain amount of pressure that needs to be created within the vessel. Normally an acceptable blood pressure reflects two numbers: systolic (upper number), the pressure exerted when the heart is pumping blood and diastolic (lower number), the pressure exerted when the heart is at rest. Ideally blood pressure needs to be in the range of 140/90.
Higher numbers indicate that something is causing the pressure needed to move a volume of blood to increase. It could be due to a narrowing of the vessels (caused by high cholesterol or plaque build-up), stress, obesity, high salt intake or genetics. This condition is known as high blood pressure, or hypertension .
The Problems of High Blood Pressure
No matter how you acquired it, high blood pressure poses a problem for the rest of your body. Here are just a few of the conditions that can arise as a result.
* Artery damage – Increased stress on the arterial walls can result in the tissue being damaged. When any tissue is damaged, an inflammatory response occurs. The walls can thicken and stiffen, leading to a smaller lumen (opening) and a higher blood pressure. If you also have a problem with bad cholesterol plaques, the increased pressure could dislodge them, turning them into emboli (things that block the blood flow).
* Heart condition – The heart has to work harder to push that same volume of blood when there is a problem with your blood pressure. As a result the heart can enlarge since it is a muscle. It can also fail, or experience an infarct in a portion of the muscle that can lead to a heart attack.