Abstract
Background: Compare arterial stiffness among law enforcement officers (LEOs) versus general population normative values and identify predictors of arterial stiffness in LEOs. Methods: Seventy male LEOs (age: 24–54 years) completed body composition, blood pressures, physical activity level, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurements. T-tests and regression analyses were utilized to compare LEO data to normative data and predict cfPWV, respectively. Results: Compared to similar age strata within the general population, cfPWV was lower among LEO’s under 30-years (mean difference = −0.6 m·s−1), but higher among LEOs 50–55-years (mean difference = 1.1 m·s−1). Utilizing regression, age, relative body fat, and diastolic blood pressure explained the greatest variance in LEO’s cfPWV (adj. R2 = 0.56, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This investigation demonstrated that arterial stiffness may progress more rapidly in LEOs and LEOs’ relative body fat and blood pressure may primarily affect arterial stiffness and risk of CVD.
Highlights
Compare arterial stiffness among law enforcement officers (LEOs) versus general population normative values and identify predictors of arterial stiffness in LEOs
There were significant positive correlations between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) versus years served in law enforcement (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) and relative body fat (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). These findings indicate that arterial stiffness increases with an increase of years served in law enforcement and increased body fat percentage
Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was positively correlated with age, fat mass, and time spent on third shift
Summary
This study utilized a cross sectional design to compare arterial stiffness in LEOs versus the general population and to identify predictors of arterial stiffness in a cohort of professional LEOs. Regarding the comparison of arterial stiffness in LEOs versus the general population, the subjects’ occupation (i.e., LEO vs non-LEO) served as the independent variable and cfPWV served as the dependent variable. Regarding the prediction of arterial stiffness, age, body composition, shift outcomes, perceived stress, and physical activity outcomes served as predictor variables and cfPWV served as the dependent variable. The study was approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to subject recruitment and data collection. A sample of 70 professional LEOs recruited from the state of Kentucky and southwest
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