Heart Attacks After Struggles

[AnthonyM83]

I was hoping I could find someone who knows about research into this topic.
I've read many LODD reports about officers dying of heart attacks after struggles (http://odmp.org/officer.php?oid=17811). This is scary, because the officers usually aren't too old.

Does anyone know if, in general, these deaths are a result of officers having health or weight problems or no known health problems but not being in shape or were they fit and seemingly healthy?

Obviously, the stop and go at moment's notice nature of police work puts a strain on your heart...is it this stop and go that's weakening officers so eventually many give out after a struggle. Or is it health problems first, that are then complicated by the physical up and downs of the job.

Obviously, it's a combination of everything, but I'm curious as to the cause and effect. If I become an officer and keep healthy, how at-risk will I be?

[Kate]

Anthony,

This just happened recently in the Philadelphia Police Dept. Officer Williams was only 52 years old.

I personally know an officer in the PPD who suffered a heart attack after saving the life of someone who attempted suicide. He told me after he got back to the station and was in the locker room sitting down, his adrenaline was still way up there and he started to feel pains in his chest. He knew he was having a heart attack.

He ended up having bypass surgery, and the last I talked to him he was talking about retiring from the PD. After the heart attack, it gave him much to think about.

[scott715us]

Obviously, it's a combination of everything, but I'm curious as to the cause and effect. If I become an officer and keep healthy, how at-risk will I be?

Alot less at risk than those that don't exercise & eat right. It's obviously going to be a multitude of factors. It's hard to eat right being in law enforcement, the stress is high, and if you don't exercise and have added weight, than you're definitely more at risk.

Don't forget to add on high blood-pressure or high cholesterol that may possibly run in your family. This could also include diabetes.

It's important to not make your LE career your full time job 24 hrs a day. Work your 8 or 10 hours and spend the other 16/14 doing things you enjoy and things that relax you (fishing, hobbies, family, not necessarily in that order, :D)

[christrue]

Anthony,

This just happened recently in the Philadelphia Police Dept. Officer Williams was only 52 years old.

I personally know an officer in the PPD who suffered a heart attack after saving the life of someone who attempted suicide. He told me after he got back to the station and was in the locker room sitting down, his adrenaline was still way up there and he started to feel pains in his chest. He knew he was having a heart attack.

He ended up having bypass surgery, and the last I talked to him he was talking about retiring from the PD. After the heart attack, it gave him much to think about.

Poor Dear Officer.... I hope he has healed and recovered by this time.
If you see him, please tell him he has my sympathy. :(

[ngcsubutterbar]

I know of one officer locally who was kicked in the chest after an arrest and he died of some kind of heart failure. http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=6223 I never knew the guy personally and can't find a photo offhand, so I don't know what outward appearance of 'shape' he had, but I do know you can look skinny and still have heart problems. Weight doesn't help absoluetly, a guy weighing 300 lbs has to work his heart twice as much as a guy weighing 150, but again 'risks' aside there are still cases that would shock the mind I'm sure.

[oscarmitre]

Being fat or being skinny aren't good indicators of heart health. Being fat isn't good for many medical reasons but being skinny doesn't mean you can hop into the crap food. Best thing is to get a really good physical and that includes blood tests and everything else. If there is an arterial blockage then the stress of a fight will cause problems. Some people have MRI tests to ensure they are okay, it sounds like a reasonable investment.

[Mike Romeo]

Tis why I work out regularly and run at least 3 miles 3 times a week.

Enough said...from a dumb rookie.

[oscarmitre]

Exercise is our friend. It's also a good way to monitor how you feel and if anything is slightly different then get it looked at.

[canuckofapeach]

Oscar has difficulty in interpreting the idealism of the word to a more practical stance :D

[oscarmitre]

Oscar has difficulty in interpreting the idealism of the word to a more practical stance :D

Meaning I need to get off my arse more. Quite right too but hey my theory is great! :D

[Joeyd6]

We have the heart bill here....
If we have a heart attack at any time here (on or off-duty), and you can't return to work...it is considered a lien fo duty injury....and you are allowed a 3/4's pension tax free. If you die, you get line of duty death benefits, even if off duty!!!!

They understand the stress on the human heart does go home with you here.

[KittyMom]

Same thing here as Joey described.

[Kate]

With LE being a high stress job (at least I would think so), I'd bet there are quite a few with hypertension, with many who are in great shape. One good preventitive for heart attacks (especially for those on high blood pressure meds) is an 81mg baby aspirin a day. Of course nothing is foolproof...

[Nate#2]

I know of one officer locally who was kicked in the chest after an arrest and he died of some kind of heart failure. http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=6223 I never knew the guy personally and can't find a photo offhand, so I don't know what outward appearance of 'shape' he had, but I do know you can look skinny and still have heart problems. Weight doesn't help absoluetly, a guy weighing 300 lbs has to work his heart twice as much as a guy weighing 150, but again 'risks' aside there are still cases that would shock the mind I'm sure.

The list may say heart attack, but that kick could have punctured something, causing internal bleeding by breaking a rib and puncturing the heart, or even instant death(I know it can happen, not sure how, yet)

[retdetsgt]

With us heart attacks are considered job related, no matter when they occur. However, just about everyone I know that had one ate horrible food, didn't exercise and most of them smoked. Weight, however didn't seem to be a factor. Most of them I can recall weren't that much overweight, if at all.

There were enough of them that I felt like I needed to work out my whole career. I was working out before I came on and I just continued until some time after I retired. Not doing some sort of exercise, even if it's just a treadmill is foolhardy in this job.

And personally, I think junk food kills and/or cripples more cops at a young age than any bad guys do. I'm not a health food nut by any stretch, I love my baloney sandwiches. But I don't make a consistant diet of them. I knew too many police officers that regularly ate at McDonald's or Burger King while they were working. Once in a while is no big deal, but daily will kill you.