Question:
What is the most significant health issue concerning recreational divers?
Answer:
It’s not a decompression accident like air embolism or decompression sickness, but rather cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes coronary artery disease, hypertension and stroke. All of these are significant medical problems for the general population. Divers are no different.
According to data from the Divers Alert Network (DAN), approximately 15 percent of all diving fatalities are directly attributable to CVD. Risk factors for a heart attack or stroke include hypertension, elevated cholesterol, family history of CVD, cigarette smoking and age.
As divers approach 40, a medical evaluation for evidence of CVD might be appropriate, particularly for any diver with two or more risk factors.
Minimize your risk of CVD by exercising regularly, eating a diet low in cholesterol, saturated fat and refined sugar, avoiding tobacco and getting regular medical evaluations.
