Healthy Living Tips from
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | October 2021
HEALTH TIP : Appreciating First Responders
October is First Responder Appreciation Month , and Deborah Heart and Lung Center is proud to stand up and take our hats off to all the men and women first responder heroes .
Working hard under pressure -- in difficult situations -- and oftentimes putting their own health and well-being on the line , is heroism beyond compare .
For more than 30 years Deborah has been diagnosing and treating first responders . Working closely with firefighters , police officers , EMTS , and other first responders has given the medical staff at Deborah a unique perspective on the professional challenges faced by our front line workers . Deborah ’ s specialists all know the toll that stressful work , often in dangerous situations , can take on their health and well-being .
Take Time This Month to Evaluate Your Risk Factors
The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that first responders have higher occupational hazards with well-documented health effects . For example , the National Center for Biotechnology Information ( NCBI ) reports that police officers have the poorest cardiovascular disease profile of any occupation .
According to Daniel Ice , MD , Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director of Deborah ’ s First Responder Assessment Program , the taxing elements of the work contribute to health problems .
“ These jobs are physically and emotionally demanding ,” he said . “ There is also dangerous work , heavy uniforms , stress , dehydration , exposure to toxins , and other occupational hazards . Added to this are lifestyle and health issues like smoking , obesity , lack of exercise , eating ‘ on the run ’ and high blood pressure . These are all a recipe for disaster for emergency personnel ’ s health .”
Dr . Ice heads up a team at Deborah led by board certified cardiologists and pulmonologists . He recommends first responders get a health assessment that includes an in-depth review of individual risk factors , job-related risks , a cardiac medical evaluation , an EKG , comprehensive fasting blood work , a pulmonary function test , and evaluations for sleep apnea , atrial fibrillation , and peripheral arterial disease .
“ We urge all first responders to take some time to evaluate their risk this October ,” said Dr . Ice . “ Make this a priority . I cannot underscore enough the importance for first responders to get a baseline cardiac and pulmonary check-up . We know that the extraordinary amount of job-related stress factors can negatively impact one ’ s health . Early detection and intervention is the best way to prevent heart attacks , progressive heart disease , uncontrolled diabetes , and a range of other conditions that can seriously affect quality of life .”
For more information , visit www . DemandDeborah . org or call 855-646-3484 .
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