Flying and heart risks

Auricula · Post by **Auricula** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:16 am

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/1 ... le-flying/

I will be flying from MD to CA in a few weeks and am reading with interest the recent posts on flying with CPAP gear.

The link reports on a tiny study from Australia that examined oxygen levels and breathing patterns in a small population of individuals with severe sleep apnea as compared with healthy controls during a simulated flight. Subjects with OSA "experienced higher heart rates, physiological stress and demand for oxygen than healthy people" and results suggested that these individuals would be at higher risk for heart problems during flights. I hope a larger study of incidents during actual flights will be done.

There is an interesting Comments section in which a site administrator hopes that new guidelines will be issued for travelers with OSA and that use of supplemental oxygen will be guaranteed (apparently it can be difficult to bring/buy a tank).

Contributors to the Comments section report on their experiences and there is some bickering between apparent rivals "healthinfo" and "Anonymous MD" that contains some interesting information (and disinformation). I learned that air cabins are pressurized to 8000 feet (see Comments section posts #10 and #24).

#15 -- See remark from an attendee at the American Thoracic Society Meeting.
#16 -- Personal testimony about use of a synthetic thyroid hormone and experiencing cessation of sleep apnea symptoms
#17 -- Traveler with pulmonary hypertension reports on inability to rent/buy oxygen for a flight on Frontier; difficulty with United also documented.
#33 -- Passenger from LA to Philly on US Air refused permission to board with CPAP. Poster raises the point of whether OSA sufferers are legally protected as are the disabled. Does anyone have any information on this?

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:25 am

I think that this study may indicate a need for further investigation.

The traveler on Frontier didn't plan ahead, and I am not sure what the entire issue is regarding the problem she had with United.

Hypothyroidism is known to cause several of the same symptoms as sleep apnea.

Most of the comments following the article were pretty useless.