Those with sleep apnea at risk on airline

TORONTO, May 19 (UPI) -- Those with severe obstructive sleep apnea may have a greater risk of adverse events from cardiac stress during airline flights, Australian researchers say.

Leigh Seccombe of the Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney compared oxygen levels and ventilation of healthy people and people with severe obstructive sleep apnea during simulated flight conditions replicating the oxygen and pressure levels of typical commercial flights.

"It is normal for the rate of breathing to increase when air pressure falls. We predicted that patients with obstructive sleep apnea would have a much sharper fall in oxygen levels because they might not increase their breathing as much," Seccombe said in a statement.

"In fact, we found that patients with obstructive sleep apnea do have a lower blood oxygen level before and during aircraft cabin condition stimulation, but that the change in oxygen was similar. We also found that their breathing intensity increases at about the same rate as it does in healthy people."

What was different was the physiological stress and demand for oxygen was increased in people with obstructive sleep apnea, the researchers found.

The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto.