Flying Increases Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms in COPD Patients

Reduced pressure in aircraft cabins significantly increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients suffering from hypoxia-related symptoms, according to a recent study published in The Respiratory Medicine Journal.

The research, conducted by scientists out of Norway, consisted of a cross-sectional study of 211 COPD patients who traveled by air over a two year period. Findings show that COPD patients were six times more likely to experience symptoms of hypoxia while flying than people without COPD.

"At maximal cruising altitude, the cabin pressure is allowed to decrease to the equivalent of 2438 m altitude," noted the authors. "This may cause a significant decrease in arterial oxygen tension in patients with respiratory disease, such as COPD.”

Among study participants, 24.6% of those with COPD experienced one or more in-flight hypoxia-related symptom, such as dyspnea, dizziness, headache, chest pain, air hunger, cough, fainting and palpitations, compared to just 8.8% of the control group.

After considering factors such as smoking status, age and gender, researchers found that patients with COPD were 3.3 times more likely to experience hypoxia-related symptoms while flying than the control group. This risk increased for the combined symptoms of dyspnea and air hunger, at an odds ratio of 6.6.

Researchers believe that these findings justify the evaluation of COPD patients before flying to ensure a safe and smooth flight.

Click Here to Access the Abstract, “High prevalence of respiratory symptoms during air travel in patients with COPD,” from The Respiratory Medicine Journal