Airline crewmembers experience increases in strain on the heart during the course of multi-day work periods, and the increased strain may result in increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, according to a small study by Northern European researchers.1
In their report on the study, published in the November 2019 issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, the Norwegian and Finnish researchers said that their study of 49 pilots and cabin crewmembers with a Norwegian airline found that cardiovascular strain was more prevalent on the fourth day of flight duty, compared with the first day.
“Among the pilots, high demands were associated with increased cardiovascular strain during the entire work period,” the report said. “Among the cabin crewmembers, increased duration of sleep before, and breaks during, the workdays reduced cardiovascular strain.”
Time Between Heartbeats
The study began with 49 pilots and cabin crewmembers and followed the…
