Maria Korre
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
Title: Effect of body mass index on left ventricular mass in career male firefighters
Biography
Biography: Maria Korre
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Left ventricular (LV) mass is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events; increased LV mass is common among US
firefighters; and plays a major role in firefighter sudden cardiac death (SCD). We aim to identify significant predictors of LVM among firefighters. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Cross-sectional study of 400 career male firefighters selected by an enriched randomization strategy. LV mass was assessed by echocardiography (ECHO) and cardiac magnetic resonance, and normalized (indexed) for height. CVD risk parameters included vital signs, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF),
hypertension (HTN) and physical activity. Linear regression models were performed. Findings: In multivariate analyses, BMI was the only consistent
significant independent predictor of LVM indices (all, p<0.001). A 1-unit decrease in BMI was associated with 1 unit (kg/m1.7) reduction of LVM/ height 1.7 after multivariate adjustment. Conclusion & Significance: BMI
was the strongest predictor of LVM indices among firefighters. Our findings suggest that reducing obesity will improve CVD risk profiles and decrease on-duty CVD events in the fire service. Our results support targeted noninvasive screening for LVH with ECHO among obese firefighters.