title: Biochemical screening of airmen.
abstract: Starting in 1983, biochemical and hematological screening, including hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean cell volume, mean red cell hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, ESR, serum creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, ASAT (SGOT), ALAT (SGPT), G-GT and blood glucose, was performed in all Icelandic captains, copilots, flight engineers, and air traffic controllers. No hematological abnormalities were observed. One pilot had serum creatinine above 150 mmol.L-1; 48 airmen had serum cholesterol above 8.9 mmol.L-1; 15 had blood glucose above 7.9 mmol.L-1. The pilots had significantly lower serum triglycerides, ALAT, and ASAT than the captains. Fifty airmen had G-GT values above 50 IU.L-1. This group was urged to reconsider their alcohol habits and given medical and psychological advice as indicated. In this group the mean G-GT fell from 89 to 37 IU.L-1 during a period of approximately 2 years. No change in G-GT values was observed in those airmen who had a normal initial value. This study demonstrates the value of routine biochemical testing for airmen, particularly as regards blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and G-GT.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase