Heart attack is the leading cause of on-duty death among firefighters. Moreover, nearly 100 million American adults have high total cholesterol – a risk factor for heart disease. With statistics like these, the NVFC and Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals (MSP) are "Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol" to alert firefighters to the risks of high cholesterol and its role in heart disease. This important new program is an extension of NVFC's Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, which aims to reduce the number of firefighter and EMS personnel deaths from heart attack.
Education is the first step toward living a heart-healthy lifestyle. NVFC and MSP are challenging firefighters and EMS personnel to learn more about high cholesterol and its role in heart disease. Log onto the program's new web site, www.cholesterolalarm.com, to take the Heart-Healthy Challenge - a fun, educational quiz for firefighters and EMS personnel - and access other resources including family history mapping and risk assessment tools. Be on the lookout for more information in your fire station about "Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol.”
