A MECHATRONIC SIMULATOR OF AN AIRCRAFT COCKPIT TO STUDY, BY A VIRTUAL FLIGHT TEST, CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS IN AIRLINE PILOTS BANNED TO FLY SINCE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

During flying airline pilots cardio-vascular adaptations occur producing a steady condition of bradycardia and low values in arterial blood pressure. The ability to maintain this optimal level of cardiovascular fitness in aircraft pilots during a prolonged non-driving period is reduced proportionally to this interval. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced pilots to inactivity due to the interruption of many flights at the start of the pandemic. We tested the cardiovascular profile in seven skilled pilots, after 26 weeks of banned to flying for the pandemic lockdown, while they virtually drove an entirely self-built aircraft Airbus A320 simulator. The aim was to investigate on their possible circulatory impairments. Beat-to-beat cardiodynamic profile was non invasively and remotely assessed by a homemade impedance cardiography ICT platform, i.e. the e-Physio tool. Results showed an en route high mean arterial blood pressure (almost 104 Torr) mainly sustained by excessively high values of peripheral vascular resistance (more than 24 Torr per dm3 per minute). Properly central-cardiac hemodynamic and chronotropic modulators of the stroke volume (ventricle end diastolic volume and contractility, heart rate) did not change significantly. Since this hemodynamic picture resembles that of heart failure, it was concluded that (due to the covid-19 dependent long period of inactivity) pilots may go towards a condition of detraining that involved the loss of specific cardiovascular adaptations capable of buffering risks of arterial hypertension.