Glucose Levels as a Biomarker for Stress in Firefighters

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · Mar 20, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is a small, observational study at the University of Utah to see if firefighters’ stress during emergency calls shows up in their blood sugar. About 17 full-time firefighters from the Unified Fire Authority will be followed for roughly two weeks. To be eligible, adults must be full-time firefighters on a study-designated crew, not have diabetes or use insulin, and not regularly take certain medicines like steroids, antibiotics, or benzodiazepines. Participation is by invitation.

During the study, participants will wear a continuous glucose monitor that records glucose every minute, 24/7, on both work shifts and days off. They will also rate how stressed they feel during calls and identify the three most stressful calls on shift and off shift. Researchers will compare glucose changes around emergency dispatches with these stress ratings to learn whether stress is linked to the body's stress response. This is an observational study with no treatment involved, and results are intended to inform future research on firefighter health. The study is not FDA-regulated and is planned to complete in early 2025.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Full time Unified Fire Authority (UFA) employee working for a fire crew that has been designated by the UFA board as approved for study participation
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Use of insulin
• • Diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus
• • Practicing a ketoacidosis or intermittent fasting diet
• • Intermittent use of glucocorticoids, antibiotics or benzodiazepines