GCAA and Diabetes

[Kapitanleutnant]

Gents...

Looking for info on medical consequences if a pilot applicant is diagnosed with diabetes.

Went to the Medical section of both Pprune and the GCAA website not seeing what I was looking for. Specifically, what is the GCAA take on this subject?

Can someone point me in the right direction?

Kap

[slowjet]

Close friend of mine got into deep trouble on this one. Look, it depends on whether it is Type One or Type two. Type one is where daily insulin jabs have to be taken and is more serious insofar as control is more difficult. Licencing Authorities are less likely to allow you to fly with this. Type two is very common, linked to overweightness & the dreadful diets we succumb to. It is treatable & controlled with medication and/or diet alone. Licencing Authorities will want to satisfy themselves that the sufferer is controlling and will, probably allow you to continue to maintain your licence with what is known as a MOL restriction. (Multi Crew Ops) whereby you can fly only in a multicrew scenario and , of course,with no others in that crew who suffer with the same condition. My mate, in a ME airline, was diagnosed by his Medical Dept with Type 2.He was grounded, subjected to all sorts of additional tests (Blood, stress ECG, Eyeball pressure etc) and placed on medication (over recommended doseage) which left him in a dreadful state. UK medics suggested he just had very high sugar levels and was NOT diabetic. His ME CAA approved medic passed him after medication was abandoned ( it was making him very ill). Having taken issue with his Company's medical department, the loss of face issue kicked in and he was suspended after the Company Doc got very upset ! My colleague pretended to go back on the medication, lost a couple of pounds in the gym, signed up to regular monitoring at a local Hospital & smiling Doc declared that the medication was clearly working (he was not taking any ) & restored his Class One with the MOL restriction ! He just retired, dropped a further two stone, cut back on his favourite tipple & walks everywhere. Never been fitter. The medication, prescribed by the Airline Doc, would have killed him (at one point pissing black tar with severe kidney pain) was ceremoniously thrown down the toilet.(The medication, not the airline Doc) .UKCAA has many Airline Pillots flying continuously with Type 2 on MOL restricted licences.Mid East, I don't know.Hope this is helpful and that you or someone you are asking about gets the correct diagnosis & obtains the level of care appropriate to the level of the condition.

[SassyPilotsWife]

Kap,

First of all, In order for you to be diagnosed as a diabetic, the " applicant" will have had more than 1 abnormal BGL ( blood glucose level) test. If both test indicate the patient has abnormal readings, then the doctors will "suspect diabetes". Immediately, the patient will have to undergo blood work and based on those results, it is then that you can be diagnosed a diabetic. Obviously if you have 2 abnormal BGS readings, then your diabetes is not controlled and you will be grounded.

Then they perform what is called an A1C test. If your A1C test results are higher than 6.8, You will continue to be grounded no matter how fast your able to correct your BGL. It is a double whammy. You have to be able to pass both.

If a patient has a new onset or newly diagnosed as a diabetic, the chances of it being above 6.8 are very great unfortunately. Reason why.... All of the bad habits, over weight, not eating right etc.. has probably been going on for a while. Most diabetics that are diagnosed have most likely been diabetics for a while. During that time, there was enough cellular damage done to the red blood cells which in essence, will cause a high A1C. If this happens, plan to be grounded for no less than 90 to 120 days. There is absolutely NOTHING that anyone can do at that point except immediately change their eating habits, incorporate diet, start taking meds and exercise. The reason it takes 90 to 120 days is because that is the amount of time your body produces new blood which carries new blood cells and flushes out the old blood cells that were full of sugar. And that is what an A1C test is. It is a test to determine the amount of damage done to red blood cells.

Recommendation:
If you have already been diagnosed as a diabetic and it is controlled with meds, make certain that you list only the meds that are GCAA approved no matter if you take them or not. but continue taking the meds that actually work for you! Because although the ones your taking work, if they aren't GCAA approved, they don't care. Slow is correct, they can screw you up big time with some of the crap they are shoveling these days.
If you've recently been diagnosed and you are in the UAE, spend the 100AED and go to one of the hospitals here, have them draw blood ( labs) and order the A1C test yourself. THey don't report it and you will get your results the same day. If its less than 6.8, then you should be fine. It won't hurt to also get an EKG done and eye test prior just to make sure it is all going to check out when the GCAA doc sends you for these test. If your not in the UAE, get it done thru a pvt clinic or doc.

If you need any help, send me a PM. There are some fantastic docs in the UAE who are very understanding about this and will get him/her thru it.

BEST OF LUCK to your "applicant" :)

[herjeet]

I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes a month ago by a GCAA medical doctor in the UAE. My Hb1Ac was 7.2 and fasting blood glucose was 135mg. I have been on medication and my blood sugars seem pretty stable, around 6.5mmol/m averagely. I know that my Hb1Ac needs to be below 7.0mmol/m but the documents state my fasting blood glucose needs to be reasonable controlled, what is meant by this? Is there a figure they have in mind? Any thoughts or information by anyone will be most helpful!

[lospilotos]

If you loose your medical for this reason, where would it leave you in regards to EK Loss of License and LIPS?

[nakbin330]

I would ask LIPS, but from what the small print states, you will not be paid out if obesity is on the cards.

[bigmountain]

The GCAA of UAE has a fairly practical approach. If you are diagnosed as Diabetic type II.,then you can expect to be grounded pending a process to see you response to to diet and exercise and loss of weight and if required oral medication .The grounding is to allow you to organize your life style that will include dietary ,nutritional changes as well as include some form of exercise that will serve to reduce your weight and provide done aerobic value. Depending on the severity of your condition you may be prescribed some form of a Metmorphine of a combination of such as Janumet (Januvia+Metamorphin). These drugs are very popular for Pilots and are tolerated well. The grounding or ground trial is to see how the Pilot responds favorably to the diet ,exercise and if required the medication

In order to maintain your medical you need to have you blood tested regularly ( personal blood sugar checking device ) and the formal testing ( 3 months ) to show that you are controlling Ac1 below 7. The UAE GCAA is somewhat strict , as I understand the FAA and the Ozzie medicals allow for a higher Ac1 . If you can maintain your AC1 below 7 without the need for medication and just control by Diet and Exercise, then you shouldn't have an issue with a limitation on your License. However if you test greater than 7.2 on two of quarterly test results then you will invoke a protocol for medication and visits with you Doctor , yearly ETT , eye and foot check ups .

Dont get too worked up (stressed,) as stress is one of the contributors to Diabetes. You will need to modify your life style and include regular exercise , diet ( see a dietician ) and monitoring your blood sugar and see how its respond to the different food groups ( include Foods with low GLYCEMIC INDEX) Do away with smoking and reduce Alcohol as much a possible

To summarize. Diabetes management is as simple as ABC

A MONITOR YOUR AC1
B monitor you Blood pressure
C monitor your cholesterol


All the above can done when you do your regular 3 monthly blood test results
While on a personal level you can choose to include a healthy diet ( discuss with dietician ). Visit to the Doc for blood pressure and review of your parameters
For Cholesterol.

If you put you mind to set , read up on the latest on the web , you should be able to manage your Diabetes way past retirement, without worries about losing your Licence

Good luck
BM