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Selected Exogenous (Occupational and Environmental) Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in Military and Aviation
Ewelina Maculewicz1, Agata Pabin2, Łukasz Dziuda2
1Faculty of Physical Education, Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Marymoncka 34, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland.
Insights
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) pose risks for military personnel, particularly pilots. While some risk factors are modifiable through healthy habits, occupational and environmental exposures require further research to mitigate CVD risks and maintain military suitability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Aerospace Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading global cause of death and a significant factor in military unsuitability, especially for pilots.
- While lifestyle modifications can address some CVD risk factors, military professionals face unique occupational and environmental stressors.
- These stressors include noise, hypoxia, acceleration forces, and irregular work schedules, which may contribute to CVD risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the influence of specific occupational and environmental factors on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in military professionals and aviators.
- To highlight the importance of factors such as noise, altitude, hypoxia, acceleration, smoking, oral health, and stress in this population.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted to examine existing scientific data.
- The focus was on selected occupational and environmental factors relevant to military aircrews and professionals.
Main Results:
- The review confirmed that military personnel are exposed to conditions potentially influencing CVD risk.
- However, a significant limitation is the scarcity of robust scientific data on these specific risk factors.
- Existing evidence suggests a link between occupational exposures and increased CVD risk, but requires further validation.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for comprehensive studies investigating environmental and occupational CVD risk factors in military populations.
- Further research should focus on developing strategies to minimize these risks, thereby preserving the health and military suitability of these professionals.
- Understanding and mitigating these factors is essential for long-term health outcomes in military aviators and personnel.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of heart and blood vessels which are the leading cause of death globally. They are also a very important cause of military unsuitability especially among military pilots. Some of the risk factors cannot be modified, but a large group of them can be modified by introducing healthy habits or behaviors, such as regular physical activity, quitting of tobacco smoking, cessation of harmful alcohol consumption, or stress avoidance. Specific occupational and environmental factors, such as acceleration, pressure changes, hypoxia, thermal stress, noise, vibration, prolonged sedentary posture, difficulties in moving the limbs, shifts, work shift irregularities, circadian dysrhythmia, variations in the microclimate, motion sickness, radiation, toxicological threats, occupational stress, emotional tension, highly demanding tasks especially during take-off and landing, predominance of intellectual over physical activity, and forced operation speed against time shortage are considered as characteristic for military personnel, especially military aircrews. They are of special concern as some of them are considered as potential CVD risk factors. The aim of this study was to discuss the influence of selected occupational and environmental factors (noise, altitude, hypoxia, acceleration forces, tobacco smoking, oral health, and stress) regarding their importance for CVD risk in military professionals and military aviators. The performed revision confirmed that they are exposed to certain characteristic conditions, which may influence the CVD risk but the number of solid scientific data regarding this subject are limited. There is a great need to perform complex studies on environmental and occupational risk factors for CVDs in military personnel and military aviators as well as how to minimize their influence to prolong the state of health and military suitability of this professional groups.
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