Danger in law enforcement is typically associated with high-stakes encounters or gun violence. But new research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting suggests the most serious threat to law enforcement professionals may be unfolding quietly over decades, building, and accelerating with each year on the force.
The study, Cardiometabolic Health In Law Enforcement Professionals: A Call To Action, offers new insight into the development of cardiovascular disease among law enforcement professionals. Drawing on data collected between 2023 and 2025, researchers found that officers are not only more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease than the general population, but that their risk emerges earlier and intensifies over time.
“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.”
The investigators collected anthropomorphic, cardiometabolic, and coronary artery calcium data from 497 Minnesota-based law enforcement professionals, 77 percent of whom were male. The results showed a consistent pattern: cardiovascular health declines rapidly as the officers’ time on the job increases.
Even the youngest law enforcement professionals in the study, those between 20 and 39 years old, showed high risk factors.
By the time officers reached their 40s, the data revealed a sharp escalation. Compared to those in their 20s, officers aged 40 to 49 had significantly higher body mass index, elevated blood sugar levels, and multiple cholesterol abnormalities.
High blood pressure was a constant across all age groups, suggesting that hypertension is not a late-stage development but a persistent condition throughout a law enforcement professional’s career.
The study also revealed signs of arterial damage appeared earlier than expected. Law enforcement professionals over the age of 30 exhibited elevated coronary artery calcium levels, a direct indicator of plaque buildup in the arteries and a potential precursor to serious cardiac events.
The study’s authors emphasize that because the average career in law enforcement spans for more than 20 years, the progression of disease documented in the findings is likely tied to prolonged time on the job.
In response, researchers are calling for a more proactive and comprehensive approach to cardiovascular risk screening and prevention for law enforcement professionals. That includes earlier and more in-depth assessments of cardiovascular risk, screening for pre-clinical diseases, and more aggressive treatment strategies when necessary.
“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.”
As agencies and policymakers continue to focus on officer safety, the findings raise a broader question: what does it mean to truly protect those who serve? If the most significant threat is one that develops slowly, often unnoticed, then addressing it will require a shift from reactive care to sustained, preventive action.
The study, Cardiometabolic Health In Law Enforcement Professionals: A Call To Action, was presented at ACC Annual Scientific Sessions 2026, New Orleans, LA, 09:30 AM ET, March 29, 2026.
