Study population
coronary artery disease
HEART, CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
We conducted a block-randomized crossover study using a hypobaric chamber to compare the occurrence of ectopy during simulated flight conditions to control. Study inclusion criteria were age over 50 years and not presenting any active health symptoms. Participants were selected to reflect the population of U.S. passengers over age 50, and hence included people with stable cardiac conditions (moderate coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure) classified according to New York Heart Association criteria (n = 13), smokers without cardiac conditions (n = 14), and non-smokers without cardiac conditions (n = 14).Participants were recruited through medical offices, newspapers, and community centers in Oklahoma City, proximal to the hypobaric chamber at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). Participants were enrolled after a phone screen by a nurse practitioner determined eligibility based on age and medical profile, and after attending a medical examination documenting oxygen saturation, pulmonary function, electrocardiogram readings, blood pressure, blood tests, height and weight, and health profile.