Ashen MD, Carson KA, Ratchford EV, et al. - The firefighters at increased risk for cardiovascular disease can be identified using a coronary artery calcium scan. This high-risk population may benefit from implementing a comprehensive cardiovascular disease prevention program early in firefighters’ career as this may aid in lowering cardiovascular disease risk and thus death and disability in this population.

• In the study population of firefighters, 39% had a coronary artery calcium score > 0.

• Multiple logistic regression revealed a higher likelihood of having coronary artery calcium in significant correlation with older age; male gender; taking lipid-lowering or antihypertensive medications; and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, BMI, and fasting blood glucose.

• An opportunity to identify and treat firefighters who may have benefited from more aggressive treatment may be missed when only atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease scores are used in assessment of the risk in this subset.