Assessing Age-related Differences In Firefighter Health Profiles And Occupational Cardiorespiratory Fitness Standards

Research indicates that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among firefighters (FF) may be influenced by factors like oxidative stress, inflammation, low fitness levels, and body composition, with age potentially playing a role in risk variation. It is well established that age is an independent CVD risk factor, but limited data exist concerning the impact of age on FF health and fitness. PURPOSE: This study investigated whether FF health and fitness profiles differ based on age. METHODS: 144 FF completed an annual clinical health assessment. Shapiro-Wilk Test was used to assess normality. One-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests (if normality was violated) assessed differences in CVD risk biomarkers and fitness and body composition metrics between age groups (i.e., 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+). Partial Eta squared (ηₚ2) values were used to assess effect sizes. RESULTS: Significant differences were found across age groups in low-density lipoprotein concentrations (p = 0.002, ηₚ2 = 0.102), triglycerides (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.122), VO₂max (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.222), push-ups (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.191) and fat mass (p = 0.027, ηₚ2 = 0.063). Higher fasting insulin levels (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.163) were observed in the 50+ age group. Notable values were observed for Framingham risk score (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.805) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT; p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.301) across all age groups. Compared to firefighters aged 20-29, 10-year CVD risk (p = 0.000, ηₚ2 = 0.519) was higher for those aged 40-49 and 50+. Overall, firefighters aged 20-29 demonstrate better health and fitness profiles than their older counterparts. CONCLUSION: These data suggest significant differences in CVD risk biomarkers, physical fitness levels, and body composition metrics across age groups among FF. The high effect sizes for Framingham risk score, 10-year CVD risk, and VAT highlight their potential as CVD risk predictors. Age-specific health interventions are recommended to manage and mitigate CVD risk effectively over time in this population.