Law Enforcement Officers Have an Increased Prevalence of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease That Is Not Explained by Traditional Risk Factors

Abstract

Objectives Determine if law enforcement officers develop subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) earlier than non-officers and if so, the extent to which conventional risk factors explain this difference. Methods Estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) was the marker of subclinical ASCVD. EPWV, ASCVD risk factors, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and 10-year risk for ASCVD were compared among 408 law enforcement officers and a civilian cohort. Results EPWV, 10-year ASCVD risk, and MetS prevalence increased significantly with age. All but the officers age 55 and older had higher ePWV cohort than the civilian cohort (p < .001). Ten-year ASCVD risk explained the most variability of ePWV (R2 = .49, p < .001). Conclusions Officers develop subclinical ASCVD earlier than non-officers. Conventional ASCVD risk factors only explain about half of this increase. Occupational factors may play a role in contributing to this increased ASCVD risk.