An observational study in Vascular Function and Atherothrombosis, sponsored by University of Edinburgh. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-01.
Sponsored by University of Edinburgh · Observational
Firefighters are at increased risk of death from heart attacks when compared to other emergencyy service professionals whose jobs involve similar components such as emergency call-outs and shift work. In the largest analysis of cause of death amongst on-duty firefighters, firefighter deaths were classified according to the duty performed during the onset of symptoms or immediately prior to any sudden death. The majority of deaths due to a cardiovascular cause (i.e. heart attack) occurred during fire suppression whilst this activity represented a relatively small amount of a firefighters professional time. There was also a risk of death associated with other duties such as emergency non-fire response and physical exertion.
The investigators hypothesize that participation in active fire-fighting duties impairs blood vessel function and increases blood clot formation when compared with non-fire-fighting activities. In this study, healthy career firefighters will be assessed after three periods of duty: fire-suppression, emergency response without fire suppression and following a sedentary shift. 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 blood vessel function following these duties. By undertaking this comprehensive assessment of blood, blood vessel and heart function the investigators hope to understand the mechanisms whereby the risk of a heart attack, fatal or otherwise, is posed throughout these distinct duties that firefighters undertake on a daily basis.
1,506 studies on the registry are indexed under Thrombosis; 238 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 213 across 586 observational studies indexed under Thrombosis.
Browse Thrombosis studies →University of Edinburgh is the lead sponsor of 393 studies on the registry; 64 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Subjects will be healthy, non-smoking, whole-time firefighters working within Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
Exclusion Criteria:
Firefighters will attend for vascular assessments following a night shift where they have performed fire suppression
Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study · Procedure: Badimon Chamber
Firefighters will attend for vascular assessments following a night shift where they have had an emergency response without fire suppression eg. road traffic collision.
Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study · Procedure: Badimon Chamber
Firefighters will attend for vascular assessments following a night shift where they have remained sedentary throughout the shift.
Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study · Procedure: Badimon Chamber
Forearm venous occlusion plethysmography to measure forearm blood flow during intra-arterial infusion of the vasodilators Verapamil (10-100 µg/min), bradykinin (100-1000 pmol/min), sodium nitroprusside (2-8 µg/min) and Acetylcholine (5-20 µg/min).
Also known as: BK, SNP, ACh, VP
Ex-vivo assessment of thrombus formation using the Badimon Chamber
Forearm blood flow measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in response to infused vasodilators
Time frame: up to 12 hours after exposure
Ex-vivo thrombus formation using the Badimon chamber
Time frame: up to 12 hours after exposure
Plasma t-PA and PAI concentrations following infusion of bradykinin
Time frame: During forearm study, up to 12 hours after exposure
This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Edinburgh