Cedar Park police lieutenant, cardiologist works to improve officers’ heart health Dr. Jonathan Sheinberg splits his work time between his business as a cardiologist and serving as a law-enforcement agent in Cedar Park and Austin.[/caption]

Law-enforcement officers have a 45 percent chance of having a heart attack before they turn 45 years old, according to the American Heart Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. For civilians, that same risk is only 7 percent.


To help combat that number, a local cardiologist has found a way to combine two of his passions—medicine and law enforcement—into a program to help police officers stay healthy for longer.


“We’re finding very high rates of heart disease in this very young, apparently healthy population,” said Dr. Jonathan Sheinberg, a cardiologist based out of North Austin and a lieutenant with the Cedar Park Police Department. “We have the ability to attack heart disease years before blockages come in.”


Sheinberg began his career as a police officer in 1989 in Massachusetts and soon after attended medical school at Georgetown University. He served in the Air Force for 15 years and then as a medic for Travis County SWAT, and he is now also a member of the U.S. Marshals task force in Austin.


From his experience working in the fields of law enforcement and medicine, Sheinberg said he was aware of the higher risk that police officers have of developing heart disease. He said nearly 50 percent of police officers will die of a heart attack within five years of retirement.


To help address this problem, Sheinberg launched the nonprofit Public Safety Cardiac Foundation. He reached out to local public safety departments to provide officers with cardiac screenings, blood tests and nutrition guidance. The foundation helps pay for testing.


“Some of the advanced blood testing is thousands of dollars,” he said. “Insurance covers it, but there’s a patient responsibility.”


The cardiac foundation has screened more than 1,200 officers throughout the state, including in Cedar Park, Leander and Austin. Sheinberg said tests have found 70 percent of officers have evidence of the early stages of heart blockages, around 80 percent are obese and 35 percent have undiagnosed diabetes.


Cedar Park Police Commander Darlene Lewis said the police department started the program in December 2015 with about 60 participants. Since then, the program has expanded in Cedar Park to include dietitian work.


She said she appreciates how Sheinberg has opened his office and resources to benefit officers.


“For the people that are sticking with the program and really following it, they’re actually getting really good results,” Lewis said.


Sheinberg said the reasons for higher rates of heart disease among police officers is still not understood completely, but it is likely a combination of a unique pattern of stress.


“You have a situation where you have 98 percent boredom and then 2 percent terror,” he said. “You have shift work, you have a sedentary job.”


Sheinberg said he subscribes to a three-pronged approach—lifestyle changes with diet and exercise, the right cholesterol medication to treat blockages and over-the-counter supplements.


“People have a misconception that if you have a cholesterol problem, you can either live a healthy lifestyle or sit on a couch and take a Lipitor,” Sheinberg said. “You need both, so if you are someone who’s got blockage formation, you need all three prongs of the approach, that is lifestyle, medication and nutritional supplementation.”


Sheinberg said he cannot keep up with the number of officers, fire fighters and EMS workers wanting screenings.. To help with funding, the foundation is planning a gala for spring 2018.


“My goal is to screen cops and firefighters with no money out of pocket to them,” he said.