Table 2.
Measures of cardiometabolic health and prevalence of risk in male and female firefighters.
| Total | Male | Female | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiometabolic Measures | ||||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.1 ± 0.1 | 29.2 ± 0.1 | 27.7 ± 0.3 | <0.001 |
| Total Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 189.7 ± 0.7 | 189.9 ± 0.7 | 188.3 ± 2.3 | 0.53 |
| LDL (mg/dL) | 116.1 ± 0.7 | 116.5 ± 0.7 | 111.4 ± 1.9 | <0.001 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 48.7 ± 0.3 | 48.1 ± 0.3 | 59.4 ± 0.9 | <0.001 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 121.7 ± 1.8 | 123.2 ± 1.8 | 87.2 ± 4.5 | <0.001 |
| Blood Glucose (mg/dL) | 95.8 ± 0.3 | 96.2 ± 0.3 | 88.7 ± 0.8 | <0.001 |
| Prevalence of risk factors | ||||
| Obesity (%) | 36 ± 1 | 37 ± 1 | 25 ± 3 | <0.001 |
| High Cholesterol (%) | 20 ± 1 | 21 ± 1 | 6 ± 2 | <0.001 |
| Low HDL (%) | 25 ± 1 | 25 ± 1 | 24 ± 3 | 0.081 |
| High Triglycerides (%) | 12 ± 1 | 12 ± 1 | 2 ± 1 | <0.001 |
| High Blood Glucose (%) | 4 ± 0.4 | 5 ± 0.4 | 3 ± 1 | 0.67 |
| NCEP Metabolic Syndrome Criteriaa | ||||
| Meets ≥ 3 criteria (%) | 9 ± 1 | 10 ± 1 | 5 ± 1 | 0.013 |
Values are shown as mean ± standard error or % ± standard error.
Linear and logistic regression models were conducted to compare cardiometabolic variables between male and female firefighters adjusting for age and location.
The National Cholesterol Education Program defines metabolic syndrome as having ≥ 3 of the following cardiometabolic measures: increased waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, low HDL cholesterol, and elevated triglycerides. Waist circumference was not consistently available from the occupational medical exams, only 4 of the 5 measures were considered in the definition of metabolic syndrome in the firefighter and general population samples; therefore, the reported percentages meeting ≥ 3 criteria underestimates the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.