Many police who worked after WTC attack show early signs of heart problems, study suggests

Many WTC responders show early signs of heart woes

ATLANTA — Doctors say that law enforcement officers who worked near ground zero after the World Trade Center attacks seem to show early signs of heart problems at a higher rate than would be expected for their age.

Ultrasound tests show that nearly half of about 1,200 law enforcement workers who sought care at a New York hospital studying effects of the disaster had some sign of impaired heart function.

However, doctors say they do not know if working at ground zero is responsible, or how many workers had heart problems before the disaster.

The study, released Saturday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Atlanta, was limited to workers 40 to 50 years old because heart problems become more common after 50.