FAA and sleep apnea

[widgeon13]

More govt. Overstepping its boundaries. Discuss especially the commercial pilots.

http://www.flyingmag.com/blogs/going-direct/faas-sleep-apnea-policy-are-you-too-fat-fly?cmpid=enews111913&spPodID=030&spMailingID=18161155&spUserID=NDc4NjIyMzI4NwS2&spJobID=237969762&spReportId=MjM3OTY5NzYyS0

[RWebb]

air safety is a govt. responsibility; what planet are you form?

[jyl]

Not a pilot - but BMI 40 is like 300 lb for a 5' 11" man. That is pretty extreme obesity.

[cashflyer]

Yep... this is all over the aviation forums.

The FAA has no data to show that there is a problem, yet they intend to regulate against the problem.


AOPA is asking the FAA to indefinitely suspend implementation of a new policy that would require some pilots to be screened and, if necessary, treated for obstructive sleep apnea before receiving a medical certificate. The screening would initially apply to pilots with a body mass index (BMI) over 40. Over time, the FAA would lower the BMI requirement, compelling more pilots to be screened by a board-certified sleep specialist. The policy is the result of NTSB recommendations, but AOPA argues that there is no evidence to support the need for such screenings among general aviation pilots.

“Analysis of a decade of fatal general aviation accidents by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee didn’t identify obstructive sleep apnea as a contributing or causal factor in any of the accidents studied.”
AOPA to ask FAA to suspend implementation of new sleep apnea policy - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

[Embraer]

my medical requires this kind of assessment. sleep apnea is disqualifying for my job with the FAA. last year when I went for my medical, our flight surgeon (way more stringent than any flight surgeon I went to for my Class I flying medical) basically told me to get my health back on track....or else.

I was 260lbs last year. im down to 165 right now.

there are two guys in my work area that are medically dq'd right now for sleep apnea, for fear of falling asleep on position.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by RWebb

air safety is a govt. responsibility; what planet are you form?

I asked for discussion, not criticism. WTF is your problem?

[jyl]

I don't know if sleep apnea has been studied in relation to airplane accidents, but it is clearly a major risk-increasing factor in automobile accidents.

Sleep Apnea Doubles Car Crash Risk, Study Shows
patients with sleep apnea are three to five times more likely to be in a serious car crash involving personal injury.

The association between sleep apnea and the ris... [N Engl J Med. 1999] - PubMed - NCBI
There is a strong association between sleep apnea, as measured by the apnea-hypopnea index, and the risk of traffic accidents.

Automobile accidents involving patients wi... [Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988] - PubMed - NCBI
The patients with sleep apnea had a sevenfold greater rate of automobile accidents than did the subjects without apnea

Seems if there is a medical condition that increased the risk of traffic accidents by 3X to 7X, the FAA would be well advised to look for it in airplane pilots as well. We require pilots to be far more trained, rested, responsible, medically healthy, etc than we require of auto drivers - too late to complain about that. Why treat sleep apnea differently from other medical conditions?

Maybe for a private pilot flying alone, there's not as much reason to care if he endangers himself (the odds of a light plan crash hitting anyone on the ground is really low). Maybe so for private pilots generally, since they usually only endanger their family and friends. But for any sort of commercial pilot, especially the guy upfront when I am in row 23, I don't see what is wrong with this action. And I wonder how many it will affect, anyway. When is the last time you saw a 300 lb airline pilot?

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

I asked for discussion, not criticism. WTF is your problem?

In defense of Webb (and I rarely if ever defend him!) a discussion can be critical and even disagreeible and smack of disrespect and even a pompus flare. While I am sure his tone was more on the side of cheerful banter with a snarky undertone, the written often gets obscured.

(or he could be on the rag....your call)

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by Embraer

I was 260lbs last year. im down to 165 right now.

I'm sure you've heard this a few times re your recent body change...

Well done, sir! I can just guess how good you feel every day. You should be proud.

What is that, something close to 100 horsepower reclaimed?

[Embraer]

it's amazing...when I look in the mirror, it's like seeing an old friend I hadn't seen in years.

ironically, the airline career took it's toll on my body. sitting all day, poor diet, weird schedule, and being away from home...all causal factors for gaining weight.

[M.D. Holloway]

Lipo?

[Embraer]

ha! reduced carbs, more vegetables, and working out like crazy.

[Embraer]

..and yes, I do sleep better now. no snoring.

[Tobra]

To everyone who flies or drives for a living.


Wear support stockings

That is all

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by Tobra

To everyone who flies or drives for a living.
Wear support stockings

Do I have to shave my legs first?

[romad]

Its been a grounding dissorder for some time

[RWebb]

BTW - PLENTY of data to show that there is a problem

[Tobra]

Not if you don't want to, but you definitely have to shave your back

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by romad

Its been a grounding dissorder for some time

But using a BMI number as a trigger has not been.

Originally Posted by RWebb

BTW - PLENTY of data to show that there is a problem

Not according to the article, or even according to the FAA.
Where is the data that shows pilots are crashing airplanes due to OSA induced fatigue?

[jyl]

As I read this, a pilot doesn't get grounded for BMI > 40. BMI > 40 simply means his medical exam has to include checking for sleep apnea.

Since sleep apnea is already apparently a grounding condition, the only question is if BMI > 40 is a reasonable risk factor for sleep apnea.

Looks like it is. In this survey of data:

"Obesity and OSA
•About 70% of those with OSA are obese (Malhotra et al 2002)
•Prevalence of OSA in obese men and women is about 40% (Young et al 2002)
•Higher BMI associated with higher prevalence
–BMI>30: 26% with AHI>15, 60% with AHI>5
–BMI>40: 33% with AHI>15, 98% with AHI>5
(Valencia-flores 2000)"


http://www.stanford.edu/~davesv/Weight%20&%20OSA.ppt

The rate among the morbidly obese could be even higher. In this study of pts with BMI 35-50, 77% had sleep apnea. Evidence supporting routine polysomnogr - PubMed Mobile

It looks like BMI > 40 might have been a fairly generous trigger, actually.