UK CAA Class 1 Medical

[wassupman]

I am 36, about to start flight training via modular route. I need some advice please.
I have high blood pressure and am taking the medications which is allowed under CAA's guidelines.
https://www.caa.co.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294973027

I am interested to see if there is anyone in my situation and if there will be any issues later?The specialist hypertension doctor (not AME), suggested it's better to take the meds while at the controls then not to take an have some problems later. As i am taking the lowest dosage and my bp is in excellent management (in my Dr.'s words), i would like to know if I would have to go through a stringent health checks later or will be under any kind of scrutiny.
I am planning to go for Class 2 initially.

Is hypertension a common thing these days in aviation? I am aware that pilots who already work do get support from their employers but i am unsure from the prospective pilots/trainee's point of view.

Thank you.

[Radgirl]

I am not an AME but I would be asking quite a lot of questions of a 36 year old with hypertension I am afraid. I suspect the AMEs will want full reports from your cardiologist. BUT this is rather a general observation and there are many reasons you may be OK so do discuss your concerns.

You also need to discuss prognosis with your cardiologist as you need to ensure you dont spend money and time to fly professionally only to have your career stopped prematurely. Sorry, but hypertension in young people is rather different from the usual high blood pressure in the older person. The latter is indeed common and 'normally' managed with a tablet or two and little further issue

As to taking the drug(s) you would not be able to fly for a period after starting or changing any drugs. You should take the drug(s) at the same time every day ideally in the morning. Changing the time of administration due to flying rostas seems to me to be a recipe for disaster. Side effects if any tend to be continuous and not just intermittent after each dose

[easy1]

I had the same issues back in 2007. Went to get it investigated and found out that I have issues with my kidneys.
Had it not been for the high blood pressure and going for my class 1 I would have never of found out.
Sadly investigations are still on going and have now developed kidney stones which are being dealt with by the NHS.
As previously stated high blood pressure in a younger person is something to get investigated. I'm 32 and on blood pressure tablets.

[wassupman]

much appreciate your responses and support. The consultants concluded this could be due to hereditary. Hey ho! I guess i'll have to wait and see what the AME says!

[MaximumPete]

Rest assured that the CAA will do their best to get you flying and more importantly look at the long-term outlook so that you remain fit to hold a class 1 for many years to come.

Good Luck

[cavortingcheetah]

That they will and I suspect a Class is all that most airlines will ever want to see unless it's one of the tedious ones that require an in house medical. Mind you, high blood pressure seems a trifle subjective these days although it's surely undeniable that the requirement trend is in an ever downward systolic/diastolic spiral.
But hypertension can be life shortening, so quite apart from the matter of an aviation medical certificate, I'd want to thoroughly investigate its cause. Besides which, some blood pressure medications can cause a decrease in testosterone and/or erectile dysfunction, so their use should be as targeted and selective as possible. The older one gets, the harder it doesn't become and miracle stiffeners are no substitute for one's natural fortitude as a young man.

[300hrWannaB]

This may sound like a naïve question, but it is related.
-Does a programme of regular exercise help to reduce blood pressure?
-I'm just working from a low sample of subjects, ie one.

(I'm not a medic. Those who know me acknowledge my regular exercise routine.)

[Radgirl]

A great question 300 and you have opened a can of worms!!!

For decades doctors have told overweight couch potato middle aged men with high blood pressure to eat healthily, cut down salt, stop smoking and drinking, and exercise. All good general advice BUT no hard evidence exercise itself did anything unless it helped to lose weight.....

However there have been a number of studies over the past 5 years looking at exercise. We know exercise reduces the risk of diabetes, reverses early diabetes, corrects abnormal lipid profiles (high fat levels in the blood) and reduces the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes). Weaker evidence suggests regular exercise reduces the future risk of high blood pressure. And as part of a regimen including diet / smoking / etc reduces blood pressure.

However regardless of the level of the evidence regular exercise, until a few years ago seen as a fad by most doctors, clearly reduces future risks. It even reduces the risk of death from cancer, but that is another story.........

[cavortingcheetah]

Perhaps exercise is an aid to stress reduction? If that were the case then perhaps a reduction in blood pressure would be a logical consequence of exercise? Exercise might also help to burn those excess waistline calories thus increasing self esteem, reducing stress and perhaps BP too?
Housework and sex are good for the heart?

[wassupman]

Thanks all for the responses and support. Some interesting points raised for sure.
Exercise i think is a 'must' (open to debate) to keep a healthy body and mind. Through that i believe BP 'can' be managed.
For me, didn't help i, still leading a sedantry lifestyle and the hereditary thing!
On a slightly different note, my future looks bleak as I've been told not to have too much hope of securing an employment (i.e. airline) after the training. Thinking of investing or wasting the money. Sigh....

[wassupman]

does anyone know what involves in Class 1 with cardiology review?

[Flyin'Dutch']

Yes, it is in the link you posted in your OP.

I note that you are intending to go and do the training the modular route, I take it that means that you want a Class 1 at some point. I would strongly suggest that you go for an initial Class 1 before you spend any money on ground school, training etc, as the assessment for the Class 1 includes things like an ECG which is not part of the initial Class 2 examination if you are under 40.

You want to make sure that all is OK and that Class 1 is achievable and that your BP is well managed and sorted out, including the relevant investigations which both from an aeromedical as well as a clinical perspective make sense.

Anyone with hypertension at a young age (and 36 is young in this context!) needs to have a proper workup to exclude underlying treatable causes of high blood pressure.

Good luck!