Cardiovascular risk factors in supersonic pilots in Poland

Selected cardiovascular risk factors were examined in 272 active pilots of supersonic aircraft in Poland. Hypercholesterolemia was present in 72.4% and hypertriglyceridemia in 17.1% of the pilots. Decreased levels of HDL-cholesterol and increased levels of LDL-cholesterol were found in 86.9% and 69.9% of pilots, respectively. Slightly over half (52.2%) were found to be mildly overweight while 6.6% were obese. The prevalence of smoking was 25.4%. Risk factor modification included non-pharmacological treatment of hyperlipidemia supported by lipid-lowering drugs, depending on the serum lipid level. A significant improvement in lipid profiles was obtained with this strategy, at least over 3 to 6 mo of follow up. The challenge is to develop strategies that will result in maintained improvements.