Medical assessment of military aircrew with coronary heart disease for their re-flying

Objective To study the flying possibility and principles of medical assessment of low performance aircraft aircrew with coronary heart disease（CHD）. Methods Clinical data about 6 low performance military aircraft aircrew with CHD diagnosed by coronary angiography who returned to flying after treatment were retrospectively analyzed.The aircrew were followed up to further establish the principles of medical assessment for their re-flying. Results The age of 6 aircrew was 40-53 years.Of these aircrew,3 were diagnosed as coronary artery stenosis≤50% and treated with drugs,1 was diagnosed as myocardial infarction induced by coronary spasm and had no complication after prompt treatment,and 2 was diagnosed as CHD with 95% stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery and treated with coronary artery stenting and anti-platelet drugs.The 6 aircrew finally returned to flying after observation for at least 6 months as their cardiovascular function was normal and their CHD was stable.They were followed up for 1-6 years during which they flied for 80-350h each year with a good flying tolerance. Conclusion Military aircrew of low performance aircrafts such as transport planes and helicopters can return to fly under medical monitoring if their CHD is mild,their cardiovascular function is good,and their risk factors are well controlled.