Study shows high rate of heart problems among Ground Zero workers
New York (CNN) — Exposure to debris at Ground Zero may be linked to heart problems in police officers, according to a new study announced Saturday.
The study revealed that police officers who worked at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks had unusually high occurrences of abnormal left and right ventricular functioning, leading doctors to consider the role Ground Zero played in their diminished heart function.
The study, which started in January 2008 and ended in June, was funded by the Fraternal Order of Police of New York State. The study was not intended at first to focus on the effects of Ground Zero, but rather to test the strains of the job, said Dr. Lori Croft, the study’s lead investigator.
Many Ground Zero workers have been reported to suffer from lung ailments after exposure to dust and debris at the site, but this is the first study that offers evidence that work at Ground Zero may lead to cardiovascular problems, said Croft of the Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Once microscopic matter is inhaled, it can result in harmful scarring to the lungs and heart, said Croft.
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