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.