UofA studies sudden heart disease in firefighters

TUCSON — University of Arizona has received a $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to study cardiovascular disease in Arizona firefighters brought on by smoke inhalation.

Dr. Jefferey L. Burgess, associate professor for the university’s College of Public Health, has been studying effects on firefighters and smoke inhalation for 15 years. He says these smoke effects were causing changes in the heart based on his research, so he wanted to expand the study.

“I wanted to really start looking at smoke affects on the heart and not just the lungs,” he says.

A team of nine individuals associated with the university, Phoenix and Tucson fire departments and also the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are working on this project with Burgess.

According to the American Heart Association, 45 percent of deaths on duty for firefighters is sudden cardiovascular disease.

“One million dollars is a start. Whenever you want to do research you cannot answer all the questions at once,” he says. “This will tell us a number of important things that are not known at this point.”

There are three components to the program: fitness, nutrition and history of disease.

“This is offered to anyone who is a firefighter in Tucson. We want to have a broad gender, age and ethnic background so anyone can participate,” says Dr. Wayne Peate, associate professor for UA’s medical program and director of Well America.

There are standard risk factors that are taken into account when looking at firefighters such as age, health history, high blood pressure and diet. Peate says he hopes the grant will spur prevention and studies of other industries.

“Let’s say we learn some risk factors for heart disease in firefighters. We may try it in other occupations,” he says.

The American Heart Association also notes that 22 percent of deaths in police officers is cardiovascular, versus 11 percent in emergency medical services.

“[Firefighters] jobs are more stressful and life-threatening than anything else,” says Al Bravo, a spokesman for UA’s College of Medicine in Downtown Phoenix.

Bravo looks forward to the collaboration of Tucson and Phoenix fire departments working together.

“Anything that can bring attention is always welcome,” he says.

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