FAA to use BMI to trigger screening for Sleep Apnea

[son_of_flubber]

BMI (Body Mass Index) is a number calculated from your height and weight.

On the logic that pilots with BMI over 40 are likely to have Sleep Apnea and therefore more likely to fall asleep when piloting, the FAA is planning to require AMEs to use BMI to trigger evaluation for sleep apnea when airmen seek medical certificate.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/20/246434338/faa-orders-apnea-testing-for-overweight-pilots-controllers

This is unlikely to have immediate practical impact on soaring because most people with a BMI of 40 will be too heavy to fly a glider. But the threshold might later be lowered to 30 because Sleep Apnea is very common for people with BMI over 30. (BMI 30 is the threshold for obese classification).

A person who is 5'-8" would need to weigh 262 lbs to have BMI = 40.

A person who is 5'-8" would need to weight 197 lbs to have a BMI = 30.

Calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

Most of us know that BMI unfairly classifies some healthy body types (like weight lifters) as obese, but that discussion is old and boring. BMI shortcomings do not stop the FAA from using BMI as a trigger for screening.

[Karl Kunz[_2_]]

Right now this is only a proposed requirement. They have not decided if they are going to use it yet.


On Saturday, November 23, 2013 8:04:16 AM UTC-8, son_of_flubber wrote:
> BMI (Body Mass Index) is a number calculated from your height and weight.
>
>
>
> On the logic that pilots with BMI over 40 are likely to have Sleep Apnea and therefore more likely to fall asleep when piloting, the FAA is planning to require AMEs to use BMI to trigger evaluation for sleep apnea when airmen seek medical certificate.
>
>
>
> http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/20/246434338/faa-orders-apnea-testing-for-overweight-pilots-controllers
>
>
>
> This is unlikely to have immediate practical impact on soaring because most people with a BMI of 40 will be too heavy to fly a glider. But the threshold might later be lowered to 30 because Sleep Apnea is very common for people with BMI over 30. (BMI 30 is the threshold for obese classification)..
>
>
>
> A person who is 5'-8" would need to weigh 262 lbs to have BMI = 40.
>
>
>
> A person who is 5'-8" would need to weight 197 lbs to have a BMI = 30.
>
>
>
> Calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
>
>
>
> Most of us know that BMI unfairly classifies some healthy body types (like weight lifters) as obese, but that discussion is old and boring. BMI shortcomings do not stop the FAA from using BMI as a trigger for screening.

[son_of_flubber]

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 10:02:20 AM UTC-5, Karl Kunz wrote:
> Right now this is only a proposed requirement. They have not decided if they are going to use it yet.

"The purpose
of this editorial is to alert you to a policy that we will be
releasing shortly on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)."

Source: https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/ame/fasmb/media/201304.pdf

[Roy Clark, \B6\]

A recent review of the overall risks of different BMI levels:

Random-effects summary all-cause mortality HRs for overweight (BMI of 25-<30), obesity (BMI of ≥30), grade 1 obesity (BMI of 30-<35), and grades 2 and 3 obesity (BMI of ≥35) were calculated relative to normal weight (BMI of 18.5-<25).
Relative to normal weight, both obesity (all grades) and grades 2 and 3 obesity were associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality. Grade 1 obesity overall was not associated with higher mortality, and overweight was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The use of predefined standard BMI groupings can facilitate between-study comparisons.

Flegal KM, Kit BK, Orpana H, Graubard BI.Association of all-cause mortality with overweight and obesity using standard body mass index categories: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2013 Jan 2;309(1):71-82. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.113905.

Can help you assess your own risk.

[Craig R.]

Considering that any Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe bodybuilder would be grossly obese using BMI, perhaps a different and more accurate measurement scale would be in order...

[Evan Ludeman[_4_]]

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 6:20:04 PM UTC-5, Craig R. wrote:
> Considering that any Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe bodybuilder would be grossly obese using BMI, perhaps a different and more accurate measurement scale would be in order...

They're still hunting around for the manufacturer's approved data....

T8

[Karl Kunz[_2_]]

Like I said, a proposal. There is going to a lot of discussion before this is ever gets put into force.

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 8:47:06 AM UTC-8, son_of_flubber wrote:
> On Sunday, November 24, 2013 10:02:20 AM UTC-5, Karl Kunz wrote:
>
> > Right now this is only a proposed requirement. They have not decided if they are going to use it yet.
>
>
>
> "The purpose
>
> of this editorial is to alert you to a policy that we will be
>
> releasing shortly on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)."
>
>
>
> Source: https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/ame/fasmb/media/201304.pdf