{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T00:40:04Z","timestamp":1749170404749,"version":"3.41.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Aerospace Medical Association","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>INTRODUCTION:<\/jats:bold> Military aviators have long undergone enhanced medical screening to minimize accidents and deaths. U.S. Army aviators undergo a rigorous initial screening process followed by annual medical evaluations governed by published standards of medical fitness which are updated periodically. An aeromedical summary is submitted for disqualifying conditions, resulting in either a waiver of the standard or suspension of flight status. This study aimed to identify the most common disqualifying medical conditions in U.S. Army aviators in recent years and analyze trends over time.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p><jats:bold>METHODS:<\/jats:bold> A retrospective observational study was performed using 5 yr of data from the U.S. Army\u2019s Aeromedical Epidemiological Data Repository. Incidence rates for the 10 most common disqualifying conditions, and the waiver approval rate for those conditions, were calculated. Annual incidence was calculated for hypertension aeromedical summary submissions.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p><jats:bold>RESULTS:<\/jats:bold> Lumbar and cervical spinal disorders (101.55 and 39.26 per 10,000 aviator-years, 81.6% and 79.1% waived, respectively), obstructive sleep apnea (62.00 per 10,000 aviator-years, 93.4% waived), hearing loss (27.96 per 10,000 aviator-years, 98.0% waived), and hypertension (26.13 per 10,000 aviator-years, 97.3% waived) were the most common conditions submitted. Psychological diagnoses were also common, with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and phobias, adjustment disorder, and mood disorders having a cumulative incidence of 44.20 per 10,000 aviator-years and a waiver rate of 45.4%. Submissions for hypertension substantially decreased starting in 2019.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p><jats:bold>DISCUSSION:<\/jats:bold> Spine disorders are among the leading disqualifying conditions in U.S. Army aviators and metabolic conditions were submitted less often than previously reported, likely due to changes in aeromedical policy with respect to hypertension.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p><jats:bold>Simmons EA, Lee A, Kelley A. <jats:italic>The most common disqualifying medical conditions in Army aviators, 2016\u20132020<\/jats:italic>. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(6):490\u2013495.<\/jats:bold><\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3357\/amhp.6613.2025","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,21]],"date-time":"2025-05-21T00:01:17Z","timestamp":1747785677000},"page":"490-495","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Most Common Disqualifying Medical Conditions in Army Aviators, 2016\u20132020"],"prefix":"10.3357","volume":"96","author":[{"given":"Emily A.","family":"Simmons","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Albert","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amanda","family":"Kelley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1911","reference":[{"key":"B1","article-title":"Foundations of military pilot selection systems: World War I","author":"Damos DL.","year":"2007","unstructured":"Damos DL. Foundations of military pilot selection systems: World War I. Fort Belvoir (VA): Rotary-Wing Aviation Research Unit, U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences; 2007. [Accessed 8 April 2025]. Available from https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Diane-Damos\/publication\/235067370_Foundations_of_Military_Pilot_Selection_Systems_World_War_I\/links\/555602ac08ae980ca60c7fc8\/Foundations-of-Military-Pilot-Selection-Systems-World-War-I.pdf."},{"key":"B2","article-title":"Aerospace assessment of fitness for duty","author":"Dhaliwal S","year":"2020","unstructured":"Dhaliwal S, Carter RE. Aerospace assessment of fitness for duty. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020. [Accessed 8 April 2025]. Available from https:\/\/europepmc.org\/article\/nbk\/nbk538481."},{"article-title":"Department of the Army Pamphlet 40-502: medical readiness procedures","year":"2019","key":"B3","unstructured":"Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA). Department of the Army Pamphlet 40-502: medical readiness procedures. Washington (DC): Department of the Army; 2019."},{"article-title":"Army Regulation 40-501: Standards of medical fitness","year":"2019","key":"B4","unstructured":"Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA). Army Regulation 40-501: Standards of medical fitness. Washington (DC): Department of the Army; 2019."},{"issue":"7","key":"B5","series-title":"Aerosp Med Hum Perform.","first-page":"587","article-title":"Clinical diagnoses leading to suspension in Army aircrew: an epidemiological study","volume":"89","author":"Curry IP","year":"2018","unstructured":"Curry IP, Kelley AM, Gaydos SJ. Clinical diagnoses leading to suspension in Army aircrew: an epidemiological study. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(7):587\u2013592."},{"issue":"3-4","key":"B6","series-title":"Mil Med.","first-page":"e143","article-title":"Medical suspension in female Army rotary-wing aviators","volume":"184","author":"Kelley AM","year":"2019","unstructured":"Kelley AM, Curry I, Powell-Dunford N. Medical suspension in female Army rotary-wing aviators. Mil Med. 2019; 184(3-4):e143\u2013e147."},{"issue":"11","key":"B7","series-title":"Aviat Space Environ Med.","first-page":"1117","article-title":"Permanent flying disqualifications of USAF pilots and navigators (1995-1999)","volume":"73","author":"McCrary BF","year":"2002","unstructured":"McCrary BF, Van Syoc DL. Permanent flying disqualifications of USAF pilots and navigators (1995-1999). Aviat Space Environ Med. 2002; 73(11):1117\u20131121."},{"issue":"5","key":"B8","series-title":"Ann Rehabil Med.","first-page":"706","article-title":"Degenerative changes of spine in helicopter pilots","volume":"37","author":"Byeon JH","year":"2013","unstructured":"Byeon JH, Kim JW, Jeong HJ, Sim YJ, Kim DK,  Degenerative changes of spine in helicopter pilots. Ann Rehabil Med. 2013; 37(5):706\u2013712."},{"issue":"2","key":"B9","series-title":"Aerosp Med Hum Perform.","first-page":"96","article-title":"Reported back pain in army aircrew in relation to airframe, gender, age, and experience","volume":"88","author":"Kelley AM","year":"2017","unstructured":"Kelley AM, MacDonnell J, Grigley D, Campbell J, Gaydos SJ. Reported back pain in army aircrew in relation to airframe, gender, age, and experience. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(2):96\u2013103."},{"issue":"5","key":"B10","series-title":"Aerosp Med Hum Perform.","first-page":"442","article-title":"Lumbar disc herniation in military helicopter pilots vs. matched controls","volume":"89","author":"Knox JB","year":"2018","unstructured":"Knox JB, Deal JB, Knox JA. Lumbar disc herniation in military helicopter pilots vs. matched controls. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(5):442\u2013445."},{"issue":"5","key":"B11","series-title":"J Sleep Res.","first-page":"665","article-title":"Trends and factors associated with insomnia and sleep apnea in all United States military service members from 2005 to 2014","volume":"26","author":"Caldwell JA","year":"2017","unstructured":"Caldwell JA, Knapik JJ, Lieberman HR. Trends and factors associated with insomnia and sleep apnea in all United States military service members from 2005 to 2014. J Sleep Res. 2017; 26(5):665\u2013670."},{"issue":"1","key":"B12","series-title":"Aerosp Med Hum Perform.","first-page":"46","article-title":"Night vision goggle-induced neck pain in military helicopter aircrew: a literature review","volume":"86","author":"Harrison MF","year":"2015","unstructured":"Harrison MF, Coffey B, Albert WJ, Fischer SL. Night vision goggle-induced neck pain in military helicopter aircrew: a literature review. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(1):46\u201355."},{"issue":"12","key":"B13","series-title":"J Clin Psychol.","first-page":"2173","article-title":"Common mental disorders among US army aviation personnel: prevalence and return to duty","volume":"74","author":"Britt TW","year":"2018","unstructured":"Britt TW, McGhee JS, Quattlebaum MD. Common mental disorders among US army aviation personnel: prevalence and return to duty. 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