It’s hard for me to believe that it has been 18 years since 9/11/2001. I happened to be in Manhattan that day visiting my father and remember how an absolutely beautiful September morning was shattered by the events.

Particularly evident to me was the acrid smell and the huge plume of smoke that drifted eastward from the WTC site. An article this week in JAMA reports that Firefighters with greater exposure to the dust, smoke, and other environmental contaminants from the 9/11 WTC attacks are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events years later.

Yet another reason to not forget these events, as the legacy includes a 44% higher risk for CVD events for those that arrived to help the morning of 9/11 than those who arrived the next day or later. Additionally, those who worked at the site for 6 months or longer had a 30% higher risk than those who worked less.

The researchers conclude: “These findings suggest the continued need for long-term monitoring of the health of survivors of disasters.”