Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in a hospital-based cohort of police officers in Guayaquil

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias are a relevant cause of morbidity worldwide and are influenced by modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and occupational stress. Police officers face unique psychological and physical stressors, yet data on arrhythmias in this group remain scarce in Latin America. The aim of this study was to review medical records of police officers treated at the National Police Hospital of Guayaquil from January 2017 to December 2022. From 3,334 cardiology consultations, 100 officers with confirmed arrhythmias were identified. Demographic, clinical, and diagnostic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric correlations, and multivariate logistic regression. The proportion of arrhythmias among police officers attending cardiology care was 29.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 24.8–35.0%), corresponding to 3.0% of all cardiology consultations. Supraventricular tachycardia was the most frequent subtype (27%), followed by atrial fibrillation/flutter (11%). No significant associations were found between arrhythmia type and age, sex, or service status (all p>0.36). Logistic regression identified hypertension (OR: 2.3; 95%CI: 1.7–3.1), obesity (OR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.3–2.5), and occupational stress documented in medical records (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.2–2.1) as independent predictors. This exploratory hospital-based study describes the frequency and distribution of cardiac arrhythmias in Ecuadorian police officers and highlights their association with modifiable risk factors and occupational stress. Given the retrospective single-center design and selective sample, the results should not be generalized to the broader police population. Larger multicenter studies are required to better quantify arrhythmic burden in law enforcement personnel.