title: Firefighters, heart disease, and aspects of insulin resistance: the FEMA Firefighter Heart Disease Prevention study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of cardiovascular risk markers with noninvasive imaging of atherosclerosis in firefighters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional investigation of subclinical atherosclerosis with metabolic, work related, and life-style variables in 296 professional firefighters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Calcified coronary atherosclerosis (CAC), carotid arterial intimal thickness (CIMT), and electrocardiogram provided independent CVD assessments. Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) concentrations were related to heart-rate-corrected QT (QTc) (slope ± SE: 2.16 ± 65, P = 0.001), average common CIMT (0.019 ± 0.005 mm, P = 0.0005), and total CAC lesions (0.269 ± 0.116, P = 0.02). Stepwise linear regression selected fasting insulin as the strongest predictor for QTc, HOMA as the strongest predictor of average CIMT, and fasting glucose as the strongest predictor of total coronary lesion number and score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Firemen's HOMA and fasting insulin and glucose concentrations were significantly associated with three measures of CVD. Aspects of insulin resistance are related to CVD risk among firefighters.
authors.affiliation: Saint Josephs Research Institute, Mercer University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. HighHDL@mac.com
authors.forename: H Robert
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Superko
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Momary
authors.forename: Lakshmana K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pendyala
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frohwein
authors.forename: Brenda C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skrifvars
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gadesam
authors.forename: Spencer B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rolader
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dusik
authors.forename: Stoney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polite
mesh_terms: D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012306:Risk; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin