Initial results from a unique heart-scan testing system have shown that New York police officers exhibit increased signs of coronary artery disease at a younger age than the general population, says the Chief/Civil Service Leader newspaper. Nearly 18 percent of 2,000 detectives screened with the Electron-Beam CAT Scan since last summer have displayed artery ailments, compared with two percent of the general population of men under 40, said officials of Inner Imaging, which is affiliated with Beth Israel Medical Center.
It is unclear whether the increased rate of heart ailments among officers who have taken the test is due to job stress and lifestyle choices or if it is tied to their work at Ground Zero. Various reports have shown that first-responders who assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the 9/11 terrorist attacks have incurred increased respiratory ailments and other potentially fatal sicknesses.
Link: http://www.thechief-leader.com/news/2007/0608/News/001.html