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The Influence of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Firefighter Cardiovascular Health Under Conditions of Heavy Physical Exertion (FIT & FIRED UP)
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the number one cause of on-duty firefighter death. It is most likely to occur in adults who are not physically fit that engage in sudden vigorous exercise. Cardiorespiratory physical fitness (also known as aerobic fitness) is a major heart disease risk factor. In FIT and FIRED UP, the study investigators looked at the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on blood pressure, heart rate, and other heart markers taken from the blood before and after a vigorous exercise test to maximal effort among firefighters from a local fire department in Connecticut. In addition, the investigators also looked at how lifestyle habits including physical activity, nutrition, stress, and sleep may influence our findings. It was hypothesized that aerobically fit firefighters would show less stress on their heart than unfit firefighters.
Details
| Lead sponsor | University of Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Phase | NA |
| Status | COMPLETED |
| Enrolment | 21 |
| Start date | 2015-04 |
| Completion | 2016-01 |
Conditions
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Post-Exercise Hypotension
Interventions
- GEST
Primary outcomes
- Change in Ambulatory Blood Pressure (ABP) — ABP was measured at the conclusion of Visits 3 and 4 during weeks 3 and 4.
Subjects were attached to an Oscar2 automatic noninvasive ABP monitor (Suntech Medical Instruments Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, USA) on the nondominant arm to be worn until the next morning. The ABP monitor was programmed to record BP at regular intervals three times per waking hour and two times per sleeping hour. - Change in Resting Blood Pressure — Resting BP was measured during Visits 3 and 4 during weeks 3 and 4.
Resting BP was measured according to the American Heart Association (AHA) standards using an automated BPTRU monitor (BPTRU Medical Devices, Coquilam, British Columbia, Canada). Subjects were seated for 5 minutes and then BP was measured three times, 1 minute apart in each arm. If the readings obtained were within 5 mmHg, these values were averaged and recorded as resting BP. If these readings did not agree within 5 mmHg, up to three additional readings were taken. If there were three readings obtained that agreed within 5 mmHg, these values were averaged and recorded as resting BP. If after the additional readings were taken and there were not three readings obtained that agree within 5 mmHg, the three closest values were averaged and recorded as resting BP. - Change in Fasted Blood Sampling — The blood sampling occurred at Visit 3 or 4 during the GEST Visit during week 3 or 4.
The fasting blood sampling occurred prior to and immediately after the GEST and was performed to obtain lipid-lipoprotein profiles and baseline biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease. A trained phlebotomist collected five tubes of venous blood (52 cc or 3.5 tablespoons) from the antecubital vein of each subject. Serum total cholesterol (mg/dL), triglycerides (mg/dL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mg/dL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mg/dL) were determined by colorimetric enzymatic assays. Serum glucose (mg/dL) was determined by enzymatic/spectrophotometric methods. - Change in Fasted Blood Sampling — The blood sampling occurred at Visit 3 or 4 during the GEST Visit during week 3 or 4.
The fasting blood sampling occurred prior to and immediately after the GEST and was performed to obtain lipid-lipoprotein profiles and baseline biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease. A trained phlebotomist collected five tubes of venous blood (52 cc or 3.5 tablespoons) from the antecubital vein of each subject. Serum insulin (uIU/mL) was determined by radioimmunoassay. - Change in Fasted Blood Sampling — The blood sampling occurred at Visit 3 or 4 during the GEST Visit during week 3 or 4.
The fasting blood sampling occurred prior to and immediately after the GEST and was performed to obtain lipid-lipoprotein profiles and baseline biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease. A trained phlebotomist collected five tubes of venous blood (52 cc or 3.5 tablespoons) from the antecubital vein of each subject. High sensitivity-C-reactive protein (mg/L) was determined by immunoturbidimetry. - Dietary Intake — The questionnaire was filled out during Visit 3 or 4 at the Control Visit during week 3 or 4.
Usual dietary and alcohol intake were measured using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) semi-quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire. The NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire is a validated tool for measuring dietary intake of both macro- and micro-nutrients based on 127 food items. Subjects were asked to self-report their average daily consumption of 124 food items. The data derived from the Food Frequency Questionnaire were coded and analyzed by members of the National Cancer Institute utilizing Diet\*Calc software v1.4.3 (Bethesda, MD) in order to produce daily food frequency estimates of the 127 nutrient and dietary constituents. The Diet\*Calc software analyzed Diet History Questionnaire data and generated nutrient and food group intake estimates from the Diet History Questionnaire.
Countries
United States