A new study has found that firefighters who arrived immediately after the World Trade Centre (WTC) collapse now have a 44% higher chance of developing cardiovascular events , including death.
WTC exposure has been linked to several adverse health effects, including respiratory problems , post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), and several types of cancer , but few studies have examined the link with heart disease.
Dr Rachel Zeig-Owens, co-author of the study, said: "Our results emphasize why it is crucial to monitor the long-term health of anyone exposed to massive environmental disasters, even many years after the event."
The research, conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Montefiore Health System , and the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) , suggests that the exposure to dust and products of combustion are the likely reason for disease processes that increased the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) years later.
The study – published in JAMA Network Open – reviewed 16 years-worth of medical records, physical examinations and questionnaires of 9,796 male firefighters.
They were divided into four groups – those who first arrived at the WTC site during the morning of 9/11 (who were believed to receive the highest dust exposure), those who first arrived that afternoon, those who first arrived on September 12, and those who first arrived between days 3 and 14.
An analysis of the results revealed that firefighters who arrived at the WTC site during the morning of 9/11 had a 44% higher risk of experiencing primary and secondary CVD events compared with those that arrived on or after September 12th.
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