Longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease in U.S. Navy pilots.

This longitudinal study examined the consequences of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 145 U.S. Navy pilots who suffered a CVD incident during the 1972-79 time period. Results showed that one pilot died, one suffered a second acute myocardial infarction, and 32 pilots were hospitalized and/or retired with a physical disability because of CVD. The majority of subsequent CVD incidents occurred during a 12-month period after the initial CVD event; 35% had discontinued flying prior to the initial CVD incident. Percentages of pilots who either remained on active duty or were separated for nonmedical reasons ranged from 64.3% for pilots in the chronic ischemic heart disease sample to 97.6% for the symptomatic heart disease group. Thus, the majority of pilots were returned to duty either after the initial CVD incident or subsequent to the rehospitalization or physical evaluation board. In general, these findings reflected the high level of physical and mental well-being of the U.S. Navy pilot population.