Findings of a working group on chronic health effects of sustained high-G exposure.
A Working Group of scientists from the Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks Air Force Base, met to determine the physiologic effects of repetitive high sustained G exposures over the lifetime of an exposed individual. The literature is mute on this issue. The Working Group concluded that such operational exposures have been present only since the onset of high-G aircraft (F-15/F-16); human centrifuge experience indicates no pathology, although long-term follow-up has not been accomplished; and the index of suspicion of significant clinical pathology is low, based on historical considerations. Considerations for future studies of lifetime G effects include: a determination of what organs to study; the realization that animal studies are probably not valuable; the determination that prospective longitudinal studies are optimal but costly in time and funds; and the opinion that a properly conducted cross-sectional study based on past exposure may be feasible, acceptable, and less costly.
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Clinical Sciences Division, Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX 78235, USA.
D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D018471:Hypergravity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D013026:Space Flight; D014481:United States