Study Reveals Law Enforcement Face Heart Disease Risk Years Earlier, With Risk Increasing Over Time
Research shows law enforcement professionals display evidence of coronary artery disease years, even decades ahead of the general population
NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES, March 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study released at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting showed a significant acceleration of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors among law enforcement professionals (LEPs), with the risk presenting earlier than in the general population and increasing considerably over the course of their careers. The data, collected between 2023 and 2025, suggests that current preventive strategies may not be keeping pace with the cardiovascular disease risks faced by LEPs, and that a critical health disparity is being overlooked – with potentially fatal consequences.
Heart disease is known to be one of the biggest health threats among LEPs, with LEPs 25 times more likely to suffer death and disability from heart disease than from the violent actions of a suspect. Furthermore, the average age for a heart attack in the LEP population is just 49 years, compared to 67 years in the general population. Little progress has been made to alter these statistics, and little information has been available on how heart disease risk evolves over a law enforcement career.
The purpose of the new study was to investigate the risk factor progression in LEPs over the course of their careers. The study analyzed anthropomorphic, cardiometabolic, and coronary artery calcium (CAC) data from 497 Minnesota-based LEPs (77% male) and found that cardiovascular markers degrade significantly as officers age and spend more time in the force.
Key Findings:
• Early Onset: Even the youngest age groups (20–39) displayed high risk-factor burdens.
• Rapid Progression: Compared to the 20-29 age group, LEPs aged 40–49 showed significantly higher BMI, Hemoglobin A1c (blood sugar), and multiple cholesterol abnormalities including ApoB and LDL particle number (p < 0.015 for all).
• Hypertension: Every age group studied displayed abnormal average blood pressure readings.
• Arterial Damage: LEPs over the age of 30 displayed markedly higher-than-expected CAC burdens, a direct indicator of plaque buildup in the heart's arteries.
“The data showed law enforcement professionals have disproportionately poorer cardiometabolic health and have accelerated coronary artery disease – years, even decades earlier – than workers in other professions,” said lead investigator Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC. "This represents a significant gap in screening and treatment of our essential workers, one that is both quantifiable and, importantly, addressable."
A Call to Action:
The study authors emphasize that because the average law enforcement career lasts between 20 and 26 years, the progression of disease documented in the study findings is likely tied to the duration of work exposure. They call for a more robust medical response including earlier and more in-depth risk factor assessments, screening for pre-clinical disease (such as CAC testing), and aggressive medical therapy where appropriate. The authors also postulate that improving diet (which impacts multiple markers of cardiometabolic health at once) could be the most "immediately actionable" lifestyle target for risk reduction.
"This level of work-related health disparity calls for urgent action," said Klodas. “Law enforcement professionals risk their lives for us every single day. They shouldn’t also have to risk their health.”
The findings provide a critical look at the evolving health risks associated with a career in law enforcement. Study investigators suggested future studies to evaluate the impact of targeted nutrition interventions on mitigating markers of cardiometabolic risk seen in LEPs.
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As Presented at:
ACC Annual Scientific Sessions 2026, New Orleans, LA, 09:30 AM ET, March 29, 2026
Cardiometabolic Health In Law Enforcement Professionals: A Call To Action
Rebecca Stone McGaver2, Max Lipset2, Ashley Jo Stiles2, Kiera Balding2, Michael D. Garr1, Elizabeth Klodas1
Preventive Cardiology Clinic1 and Twin Cities Orthopedics2, Edina, MN
Shay Pantano
PMM
+1 212-731-9770
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