Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants
Objectives: Elderly passengers and those with preexisting disease are flying with increasing frequency and in-flight cardiac emergencies are a more frequent occurrence. We conducted a study of the physiological effects of simulated cabin altitudes and resulting lower oxygen levels among such passeng...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.01339/full |
| _version_ | 1819108753033658368 |
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| author | Mark J. Meyer Irina Mordukhovich Gregory A. Wellenius Murray A. Mittleman John P. McCracken Brent A. Coull Eileen McNeely |
| author_facet | Mark J. Meyer Irina Mordukhovich Gregory A. Wellenius Murray A. Mittleman John P. McCracken Brent A. Coull Eileen McNeely |
| author_sort | Mark J. Meyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Elderly passengers and those with preexisting disease are flying with increasing frequency and in-flight cardiac emergencies are a more frequent occurrence. We conducted a study of the physiological effects of simulated cabin altitudes and resulting lower oxygen levels among such passengers.Methods: We monitored 41 participants in a hypobaric chamber for 2 days, one at an equivalent of 7,000 feet altitude (regulations limit pressurization to 8,000 feet) for a 4–5 h simulated flight and the other at ground level using generalized least squares models to account for repeated measures. We evaluated associations between simulated flight, heart rate (HR) and measures of heart rate variability(HRV) (root mean square of successive R-R interval differences [RMSSD], standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals [SDNN], high-frequency power [HF], and low-frequency power [LF]).Results: Heart rate was 3.9% (95% CI: 2.1, 5.8) higher on simulated flight days compared with non-flight days. The RMSSD was 10.6% (95% CI: −21.3, 0.05) lower during simulated flight days, indicative of reduced HRV. The remaining HRV measures were also lower on simulated flight days, though associations were less precise.Conclusion: We report that typical simulated flight conditions elicit changes in cardiac autonomic control, suggesting sympathetic arousal or reductions in parasympathetic drive. Our findings, if confirmed, may suggest the need for guidelines to protect vulnerable passengers including prescreens, symptom evaluation after air travel, the use of oxygen concentrators, and education about healthy behaviors in flight. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:14:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c01092bf0cbe4e4b88bd2c452db40abf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:14:56Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c01092bf0cbe4e4b88bd2c452db40abf2022-12-21T18:40:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2019-10-011010.3389/fphys.2019.01339483723Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable ParticipantsMark J. Meyer0Irina Mordukhovich1Gregory A. Wellenius2Murray A. Mittleman3John P. McCracken4Brent A. Coull5Eileen McNeely6Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesSHINE in the Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesCenter for Environmental Health and Technology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United StatesDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesCenter for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, GuatemalaDepartment of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesSHINE in the Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesObjectives: Elderly passengers and those with preexisting disease are flying with increasing frequency and in-flight cardiac emergencies are a more frequent occurrence. We conducted a study of the physiological effects of simulated cabin altitudes and resulting lower oxygen levels among such passengers.Methods: We monitored 41 participants in a hypobaric chamber for 2 days, one at an equivalent of 7,000 feet altitude (regulations limit pressurization to 8,000 feet) for a 4–5 h simulated flight and the other at ground level using generalized least squares models to account for repeated measures. We evaluated associations between simulated flight, heart rate (HR) and measures of heart rate variability(HRV) (root mean square of successive R-R interval differences [RMSSD], standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals [SDNN], high-frequency power [HF], and low-frequency power [LF]).Results: Heart rate was 3.9% (95% CI: 2.1, 5.8) higher on simulated flight days compared with non-flight days. The RMSSD was 10.6% (95% CI: −21.3, 0.05) lower during simulated flight days, indicative of reduced HRV. The remaining HRV measures were also lower on simulated flight days, though associations were less precise.Conclusion: We report that typical simulated flight conditions elicit changes in cardiac autonomic control, suggesting sympathetic arousal or reductions in parasympathetic drive. Our findings, if confirmed, may suggest the need for guidelines to protect vulnerable passengers including prescreens, symptom evaluation after air travel, the use of oxygen concentrators, and education about healthy behaviors in flight.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.01339/fullaviation healthhypoxiaheart rateheart rate variabilitycardiovascular health |
| spellingShingle | Mark J. Meyer Irina Mordukhovich Gregory A. Wellenius Murray A. Mittleman John P. McCracken Brent A. Coull Eileen McNeely Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants Frontiers in Physiology aviation health hypoxia heart rate heart rate variability cardiovascular health |
| title | Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants |
| title_full | Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants |
| title_short | Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants |
| title_sort | changes in heart rate and rhythm during a crossover study of simulated commercial flight in older and vulnerable participants |
| topic | aviation health hypoxia heart rate heart rate variability cardiovascular health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.01339/full |
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