Association of total flight hours with lipid blood profiles among civilian pilots in Indonesia

Occupational exposure to environmental factors such as cosmic radiation and hypoxia can affect the lipid metabolism and the blood lipid profile of a pilot. Accordingly, flight safety is threatened by the incidence of dyslipidemia, as a main risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart attack. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with dyslipidemia in a consecutive sample of civilian pilots who attended periodic medical check-ups at Balai Kesehatan Penerbangan, Indonesia. Blood lipid profile data were obtained through questionnaire, and variables such as the total flight hours, food intake, body mass index (BMI), smoking habit, and physical activity were included in the analysis. Among the 128 respondents who met the inclusion criteria, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 61.7% and the low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol index was high, at 57%. Obesity and inappropriate food intake were the dominant risk factors associated with dyslipidemia in this study; namely, civilian pilots with inappropriate food intake had a 2 times risk of dyslipidemia relative to those with an appropriate food intake [odds ratio (OR) = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91-4.43; p = 0.08, while obese pilots had a 4 times risk of dyslipidemia relative to those with a normal BMI (OR = 3.47; 95% CI: 1.29-10.84; p = 0.002. In conclusion, inappropriate food intake and obesity appear to contribute to increased dyslipidemia among civilian pilots in Indonesia.