Given the associations between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), we evaluated a related but less well-established association between waist circumference and brachial artery reactivity (BAR), a functional measurement of subclinical CVD, where lower levels indicate dysfunction. Regression models examined trends in mean BAR across waist circumference tertiles in police officers, a high-stress occupational group with increased risk for CVD. Mean BAR decreased across increasing waist tertiles among men, but not women, and this association was stronger among officers who consumed more alcohol. Larger waist circumference may be associated with lower BAR, providing an opportunity for intervention prior to disease development.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the association of objectively measured and self-reported sleep duration with carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) among 257 police officers, a group at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Sleep duration was estimated using actigraphic data and through self-reports. The mean maximum IMT was the average of the largest 12 values scanned bilaterally from three angles of the near and far wall of the common carotid, bulb, and internal carotid artery. Linear and quadratic regression models were used to assess the association of sleep duration with IMT. RESULTS: Officers who had fewer than 5 or 8 hr or more of objectively measured sleep duration had significantly higher maximum IMT values, independent of age. Self-reported sleep duration was not associated with either IMT measure. CONCLUSION: Attainment of sufficient sleep duration may be considered as a possible strategy for atherosclerosis prevention among police officers.

Our aim was to examine the relationship between the level of the inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology in a random sample of 115 police officers. CRP was measured in citrated plasma using a particle enhanced immunonepholometric assay and IL-6 was measured in serum with a solid-phase quantitative sandwich ELISA. The presence of high PTSD symptomology was defined as having an Impact of Event Scale score (IES) of ≥26 compared to<26 (low PTSD symptomology). 28% of the officers had high PTSD symptomology. Mean levels of CRP and IL-6 did not differ significantly between officers with high PTSD symptomology and those with low symptomology (CRP: 0.76mg/l vs. 0.97mg/l; IL-6: 2.03pg/ml vs. 1.74pg/ml). We found no association of CRP and IL-6 levels with PTSD symptomology. This study was limited by sample size and its cross-sectional study design. A lack of association may occur if either CRP or IL-6 is elevated only at the onset of PTSD symptomology, or if inflammation is related to specific key components that define PTSD. Further research examining these relationships in a larger population may be worthwhile.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations of dietary antioxidant intake and pulmonary function. METHODS: Antioxidant data (vitamins A, C, D, E, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids) were abstracted from food frequency questionnaires. Pulmonary function was measured using American Thoracic Society criteria. We used analysis of variance to investigate associations. RESULTS: Among 79 police officers (57% male), forced vital capacity was positively and significantly associated with vitamin A after adjustment for age, gender, height, race, smoking status, and pack-years of smoking, and with magnesium after adjustment for those risk factors plus total calories, all supplement use, and abdominal height. Among current/former smokers only, mean levels of all pulmonary function measures were significantly associated with vitamin E; smoking status significantly modified these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Increased intake of vitamin A, vitamin E (among current/former smokers only), and magnesium was associated with better pulmonary function.

OBJECTIVE: Police officers were hypothesized to have decreased endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). METHODS: We compared FMD in police officers (n = 261) and a population sample of men and women (n = 229), all from the same geographical region and free of clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). RESULTS: Compared with the population sample, police officers had significantly increased age-adjusted CVD risk factors (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, smoking prevalence, and alcohol consumption). Police officers exhibited lower mean FMD after adjustment for age, gender, and traditional CVD risk factors among those aged 55 years or younger (%dilation: police = 5.49%, population = 6.49%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Police officers exhibited decreased endothelial function (lower FMD) compared with the civilian sample, which was not fully explained by traditional CVD risk factors, suggesting that other pathways may contribute to increased CVD risk in law enforcement work.

OBJECTIVE: Employment as an urban police officer was hypothesized to be associated with increased structural subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), measured by carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). METHODS: The sample of men and women consisted of police officers (n = 312) and the general population (n = 318), free of clinical CVD. RESULTS: Officers had elevated levels of age-adjusted CVD risk factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, smoking prevalence) compared with the population sample. In age-, gender-, and traditional risk factor-adjusted models, police officers exhibited increased mean common carotid IMT (police = 0.67 mm, population = 0.64 mm; P = 0.03) and mean maximum carotid IMT (police = 0.99 mm, population = 0.95 mm; P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Police officers have increased levels of atherosclerosis compared with a general population sample, which was not fully explained by elevated CVD risk factors; thereby potentially implicating other mechanisms whereby law enforcement work may increase CVD risk.