Comparison of Vascular Function in Emergency Service Professionals

Completed

• Conditions: Atherothrombosis; Vascular Function
• Interventions: Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study; Procedure: Badimon Chamber

• Registration Number: NCT01813032
• Lead Sponsor: University of Edinburgh

Brief Summary

Emergency Service Professionals have an increased risk of death from heart attacks when compared to the general public. All the emergency professions share similar responsibilities such as emergency call-outs and shift work. Heart disease is the commonest cause of on-duty death amongst fire-fighters accounting for 45% and compared with 22% in police officers and 15% in the general population. The unique risk to fire-fighters is likely to reflect a combination of factors including extreme physical exertion, mental stress, heat and pollutant exposure.

In this study the investigators will assess healthy career fire-fighters and age-matched healthy police officer control subjects following a sedentary period. The investigators will take blood samples to measure platelet activity (platelets are the particles in blood that help blood clot) and will examine how blood clots outside of the body. The investigators will then perform studies placing small needles in the arm to assess how the blood vessels respond following these duties. The investigators hypothesise that fire-fighters do not have pre-existing impairment of heart, blood or blood vessel function as a cumulative effect of their occupation, but rather these are acute and transitory effects following distinct fire-fighter duties. We therefore expect similar results in both occupational groups.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-04
• Status Verified: 2013-03
• Study First Submitted: 2013-03-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-03-14
• Study First Posted: 2013-03-18
• Primary Completion: 2013-04
• Study Completion: 2013-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-05-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-05-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 36

Inclusion Criteria

• Non-smoking healthy firefighters

Exclusion Criteria

• Current smoker
• History of lung or ischaemic heart disease
• Malignant arrhythmia
• Systolic blood pressure >190mmHg or <100mmHg
• Renal or hepatic dysfunction
• Previous history of blood dyscrasia
• Unable to tolerate the supine position
• Blood donation within the last 3 months
• Recent respiratory tract infection within the past 4 weeks
• Routine medication including aspirin and NSAIDs

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Police Officers	Forearm Vascular Study	20 police officers will attend for vascular assessments following a minimum of 48 hours off-duty.
Police Officers	Badimon Chamber	20 police officers will attend for vascular assessments following a minimum of 48 hours off-duty.
Firefighters	Forearm Vascular Study	20 firefighters will attend for vascular assessments following a minimum of 48 hours off-duty.
Firefighters	Badimon Chamber	20 firefighters will attend for vascular assessments following a minimum of 48 hours off-duty.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Forearm blood flow measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in response to infused vasodilators	following 48 hours off duty

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Plasma t-PA and PAI concentrations following infusion of bradykinin	During forearm study, following 48 hours off duty
Ex-vivo thrombus formation using the Badimon chamber	following 48 hours off duty

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility; 🇬🇧 Edinburgh, United Kingdom