FAA Medical - Hypertension
CBS ran a story last night that briefly mentioned that the FAA has recently revoked some medical certificates due to certain medical conditions. This little piece about medical certificates is the part I want to expand on. The story primarily focused on a young pilot in Florida who was able to learn to fly even though he suffers from a spinal cord injury that does not allow for him to walk. It was a great story and I applaud CBS for pointing out that an injury like this does not shatter all dreams.
I just recently went in to my Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) for a FAA Second Class medical certificate. I got the certificate, but it was not the easiest trip to the medical examiner this time. I have been diagnosed with hypertension since the last time I was awarded a FAA medical certificate. Here is what the FAA has to say about hypertension.
“The Examiner may issue first-, second-, or third-class medical certificates to otherwise qualified airmen whose hypertension is adequately controlled with acceptable medications without significant adverse effects. In such cases, the Examiner shall:
1. Conduct an evaluation or, at the applicant’s option, review the report of a current (within preceding 6 months) cardiovascular evaluation by the applicant’s attending physician. This evaluation must include pertinent personal and family medical history, including an assessment of the risk factors for coronary heart disease, a clinical examination including at least three blood pressure readings separated by at least 24-hours each, a resting ECG, and a report of fasting plasma glucose, cholesterol (LDL/HDL), triglycerides, potassium, and creatinine levels. A maximal electrocardiographic exercise stress test will be accomplished if it is indicated by history or clinical findings. Specific mention must be made of the medications used, their dosage, and the presence, absence, or history of adverse effects.
2. Summarize the results of this evaluation in Item 60 of the transmitted application and forward the appropriate documents to the AMCD.3. Report the results of any additional tests or evaluations that have been accomplished.
4. If appropriate, state in Item 60 on the FAA Form 8500-8 that the applicant’s blood pressure is adequately controlled with acceptable medication, there are no known significant adverse effects, and no other cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or arteriosclerotic disease is evident.
5. Defer certification if the person declines any of the recommended evaluations.”
I reported on my application for my new medical certificate that I had been diagnosed with hypertension since my last FAA examination and that I was taking blood pressure medication regularly to regulate my condition. I was referred back to my attending physician just like the rules above require. I did all of the tests required including blood tests, ECG, and daily blood pressures for a few days. During this process my attending physician told me that several of his other patients were pilots who had been diagnosed with hypertension. He said that many of them used the same medical examiner for their FAA medical examinations and that this was the first time he had ever been asked to provide the items listed above. That inforamtion was very disturbing to me.
I can only come to a short list of possible reasons why a pilot would not need to go back to their attending physician with this issue especially using the same AME that I use.
- The pilot has not tried to renew their medical since the diagnosis
- The pilot went to a new attending physician to meet the above requirements
- The AMA missed the diagnosis on the application
- The pilot forgot to report their new diagnosis (yeah right)
- The pilot lied on their application for the medical certificate
The last reson in this list is the most disturbing to me and the one that I fear is the more common reason for my doctor not seeing his pilot patients coming back for the same reason that I did. I can only speculate on that.
I encourage any pilot who has been diagnosed with anything new since their last medical to report it on the application. Any false or information intentionally omitted from the application leads to an invalid certificate. I find it difficult to believe that a pilot who is able to remember to take medication every day could forget to list blood pressure medicine on an application for a medical certificate that clearly asks for the information. A pilot who lands in court due to some aviation related incident might easily be found at fault regardless of other circumstances simply due to operating an aircraft with an invalid medical certificate.
I realize that I have not provided any specific instances of people getting in trouble with invalid medical certificates. I hope my first story on such a thing is not related to someone I know. I hope that this story helps my fellow pilots understand the importance of filling out official applications correctly and completely. My Second Class Medical was granted. It was not the most fun process I have ever endured, but I see it as necessary.
Sources:
AOPA Online Members Only - Medical Subject Report - Hypertension
FAA Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners - PROTOCOL FOR EVALUATION OF HYPERTENSION