Claims BMI Is An Indicator Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, A Disqualifying Condition

Sometimes it seems like somebody at the FAA lays awake at night coming up with ways to make it more difficult for those who might want to fly to obtain a pilot certificate.  It looks like the latest effort will come from a medical angle. The FAA is preparing new guidelines for its medical examiners that could disqualify many pilots because of their Body Mass Index (BMI). The move could impact a significant number of Private Pilot certificate holders.

According to an editorial posted in the Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin, AMEs will be required to calculate the BMI for every examinee (both airman and ATCS) by using a formula that is located in the examination techniques section of the AME Guide and to record the results. Airman applicants with a BMI of 40 or more will have to be evaluated by a physician who is a board certified sleep specialist, and anyone who is diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) will have to be treated before they can be medically certificated.

Translated into English, that means that if you have a BMI over 40, you'll have to go through a sleep study at your expense. If you are diagnosed with OSA, you'll have to go through treatment. OSA also becomes a pre-existing condition that can affect your ability to get health insurance.

According to the editorial, "OSA is almost universal in obese individuals who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40 and a neck circumference of 17 inches or more, but up to 30% of individuals with a BMI less than 30 have OSA. OSA inhibits restorative sleep, and it has significant safety implications because it can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, cardiac dysrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, personality disturbances, and hypertension, to cite just a few. Untreated OSA is a disqualifying condition for airmen and air traffic control specialists (ATCSs), and it is a concern for the other modes of the Department of Transportation. It has also been a hot issue at the National Transportation Safety Board for several years."

The agency also plans to implement the same assessment and treatment protocol for Air Traffic Control Specialists, but still has to finalize some logistical details before proceeding.

FMI: Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin