Can you fail a Class 1 with high cholesterol?

[Oveur]

Mine is at 7.1. Everything else is hunky dorey. I'm fit as a fiddle, low blood pressure, heart rate, BMI is perfect ... so can they fail me due to high cholesterol?

[Shunter]

No, you can't. They'll test you, but it's purely for advisory purposes.

I took mine a week after returning from a month in South Africa eating lobster drowned in garlic butter rather too regularly. Measured 9 on the choronary scale. Checked at GP's a fortnight later... 6 and decreasing.

Cholesterol blood test - the same finger prick as above. There is no disqualifying level, but the possible health risks of a high cholesterol will be explained by the doctor at the time of your examination.

[Oveur]

No, you can't. They'll test you, but it's purely for advisory purposes.

Thats music to my ears Shunter. I was bricking it since I read the letter this evening. Cheers for the info :ok:

Still its probably best that I look after myself a bit better

[gingernut]

May be worth getting a fasting sample, but the results unlikely to affect the self caring advice you've stated. :)

[flyvirgin]

Im sure you can fail on it because i had mine today and it was 5.2 and the lady said that was border line.
May be wrong tho,
Good Luck mate

[Mike6567]

Rather than ask elsewhere can anyone give an idea how much the cholesterol test result is altered if one hasn't fasted?
A few months ago I remember having to fast before having the test at 9 in the morning - result 6.1.
This morning I visited the Doc at 10 about minor (?) Blood Pressure problems and he said he would take blood for another cholesterol check. Only after did I realise he didn't seem bothered about me fasting.

[gingernut]

Asking someone what a normal cholesterol level is is a bit like asking what a normal height is.

I think you've got to get the whole thing into perspective, in most cases, raised cholesterol, is just part of the bigger picture in making an assessment for risk of heart disease, and other factors are usually taken into account (BP, family history, smoking etc.)

In certain groups, we give a drug to lower the cholesterol level whatever the initial result (ie those who have had a heart attack etc), as any reduction reaps benefits.

In fit healthy pilots, we use the result (and it's fractions- HDL and LDL) to give us an idea of what your risk of heart disease in the next 10 years will be (Using something called the Framingham Score). Most fit healthy pilots will find that their risk is moderately low, despite a slightly elevated cholesterol, in these cases we'd give the usual advice about diet, healthy lifestyle etc.

In those who's risk is above a certain level, a tablet (usually a "statin" ) would be given to lower the cholesterl level.

A level of 5.2 is slightly elevated, the threshold your nurse is talking about, is the level we hope to achieve if drug treatment is commenced. In terms of how you compare to the general population, you are probably average.

Fasting tends to give a "baseline" result- the reason we use fasting tests is because most of the trials in the area use fasting results.

The system 'aint perfect- our friends at the N.I.C.E. are about to refine the science slightly- when I digest the paper, I'll try and post a "sticky" on the subject.

In the mean time, enjoy ya'mackerel:)

[Mouton Rothschild]

I'm not a Doctor, so forgive me if this sounds like I'm giving unqualified advice. An elevated cholesterol level is just one of a number of risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. Most of us know this already, but I think it's fair to say that few of us actually get round to having it checked, and where appropriate reducing it. I hope you don't find my story boring, but maybe it will encourage one or two to heed my advice.

I was an ATPL working for a large airline on 737s. In hindsight it was obvious that I was doing all the wrong things lifestyle wise, I smoked, drank moderately, didn't keep myself fit etc. and my BP was described as 'upper normal' but acceptable for a Class 1. One friday afternoon, at home, I was doing pretty much what I'm doing now, sitting quietly in front of my PC looking at PPRuNe when suddenly out of the blue I had a chest pain. To be honest it didn't seem particularly severe for the first 20 seconds or so, but then it got progressively worse. It was just as if someone was slowly driving a piece of wood through my chest. Very soon the pain was excruciating. My wife fortunately realised what was happening and called an ambulance. It was a heart attack (myocardial infarction), and I spent 10 days in the Acute Cardiac Unit at my local hospital. I consider myself to be very fortunate, because although it was a large heart attack, and a great deal of the heart muscle died, it was an inferior M I which means it was at the bottom of the heart. Had it been an anterior M I (front) I would have died.
It was at this point that my cholesterol was checked. (horses and stable doors spring to mind) The level was 6.9 and I now have to keep it below 4, using a high dose of statins. Needless to say my medical was suspended pending further investigation, which unfortunately revealed too much heart tissue damage. My medical and subsequently my licence has been permanently revoked. I miss flying like you would not believe, but at least I'm alive.
So please guys, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking - get it sorted.