New York ( CNN ) -- Exposure to debris at Ground Zero may be linked to heart problems in police officers , according to a new study announced Saturday . The study revealed that police officers who worked at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks had unusually high occurrences of abnormal left and right ventricular functioning , leading doctors to consider the role Ground Zero played in their diminished heart function . The study , which started in January 2008 and ended in June , was funded by the Fraternal Order of Police of New York State . The study was not intended at first to focus on the effects of Ground Zero , but rather to test the strains of the job , said Dr. Lori Croft , the study 's lead investigator . Many Ground Zero workers have been reported to suffer from lung ailments after exposure to dust and debris at the site , but this is the first study that offers evidence that work at Ground Zero may lead to cardiovascular problems , said Croft of the Mount Sinai Medical Center . Once microscopic matter is inhaled , it can result in harmful scarring to the lungs and heart , said Croft . Croft said that a healthy person 's heart muscle relaxes when it fills with blood . In the cases of the study participants , Croft said the heart remains somewhat stiff , which hinders blood flow and can lead to heart disease later in life . Croft tested about 1,200 police officers over an 18-month period and found that 53 percent had abnormal left ventricular functioning and 59 percent had problems with their right ventricle . This would come as little surprise if they were in their 80s , but the mean age in the group was 49 , Croft said . `` If you 're talking about 80-year-olds with these statistics , that 's one thing , '' she said . `` But these are people in their 40s and 50s . That 's unusual . '' About 7 percent of 50-year-olds have this problem , Croft said . Croft said some questions remain . Law enforcement is generally a stressful occupation and police often work varying shifts and might sit in a patrol car for long periods -- all unhealthy for the heart , she said . The study , while revealing , needs to be further explored , she said . For example , testing police officers in other cities might help put the findings in context , she said .
Study finds unusually high occurrences of abnormal left and right ventricular functioning . Findings are first to possibly link work at Ground Zero to cardiovascular disease . Study was initially designed to understand sources of stress and effects of Ground Zero . Police officers in other cities could help put findings in context , study 's leader says .