Ask the Physician
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | October 2021
I ’ m an EMT working long hours with lots of stresses , but I ’ m young and I feel good . Everyone keeps telling me to get a baseline checkup . Is it necessary ? John , Camden
John , I hear this a lot from my patients . In general if you have no health issues , you probably aren ’ t thinking about seeing a doctor . But with certain professions like first responders , that we know are at higher risk for job-related health issues , it probably makes sense to get a cardiac checkup .
If you do go for a check-up , in addition to cardiac testing like an EKG , I recommend an evaluation for risk of sleep apnea , atrial fibrillation , and peripheral arterial disease . All of these interplay into cardiac health , and with first responders we know these can put additional stress on the heart and increase health risk .
A specifically designed program like Deborah ’ s First Responder Assessment Program is just the type of evaluation that is tailor made for you . It would be worthwhile to get your baseline testing then you have something to measure your health against moving forward to make sure you are maintaining your optimum health .
For more information , visit www . DemandDeborah . org or call 855-646-3484 .
Daniel Ice , MD Interventional Cardiologist & Medical Director , First Responder Assessment Program Deborah Heart and Lung Center
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