Heart Air travel is safe even for those with angina, or others at high risk of heart attack or failure says the report, drawn up by the British Cardiovascular Society. It was produced in response to a statement from the House of Lords calling for specialist guidance for people with heart problems and to advise airlines on the need for special precautions for such passengers.
Guidelines did exist already, but their advice varied widely on questions such as how much time should have passed between a medical procedure such as surgery, for example, or a heart ‘event’ such as an attack, before being able to safely fly again.
The concern for people with heart problems is that by breathing air with lower oxygen levels – as is the case in an aircraft – they might not be able to take in sufficient oxygen to keep their bodies functioning normally. However, lower blood oxygen levels caused by breathing aircraft air ‘appear to have little or no adverse circulatory effects,’ and certainly not for short or medium-haul flights, says the report.
First published July 21, 2010.