Health
Drinking alcohol before sleeping on a plane could be dangerous, study suggests
Travelers may want to think twice before having a glass of wine on a flight and then grabbing some shuteye.
A new study published in Thorax, a monthly peer-reviewed publication by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that consuming alcohol and then falling asleep on a plane could lead to a drop in blood oxygen levels and a spike in heart rate.
The air in the cabin of a plane already has less oxygen than the air we typically breathe. Drinking alcohol can reduce oxygen levels even further — as does sleep, according to experts.
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In the study, which was led by the Department of Sleep and Human Factors Research at the German Aerospace Center, one group of healthy adults slept for two nights in a sleep laboratory.
Another group slept for the same amount of time in a hypobaric (reduced oxygen) altitude chamber that mimicked an airplane.
Consuming alcohol and then falling asleep on a plane could lead to a drop in blood oxygen levels and a spike in heart rate, a new study has noted. (iStock)
Before one of the nights, the participants consumed alcohol. The German researchers found that the people in the hypobaric chamber experienced a drop in blood oxygen, higher heart rates and a lower quality of sleep after drinking alcohol.
“[Airplane] passengers with cardiopulmonary diseases have an increased risk of aggravation of symptoms due to the decreased cabin pressure at cruising altitude, which is amplified during sleep,” the researchers wrote.
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“Alcohol, which is often consumed on board, has similar effects, but hypobaric hypoxia-induced changes are usually more pronounced.”
This was the first study to evaluate the combined impact of hypobaric hypoxia (low oxygen concentration at high altitudes) and alcohol during sleep, according to the researchers.
“The study showed that the ability to compensate for cabin oxygen pressure lowering in flight is worsened both by sleep and by alcohol,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the study but called it “well-executed,” although he noted that it was on the small side, with fewer than 50 people.
“The study showed that the ability to compensate for cabin oxygen pressure lowering in flight is worsened both by sleep and by alcohol,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
“Because of the alcohol and most likely your sleep position, you don’t get restful sleep or go through all the stages of sleep, which causes additional stress on your heart.”
“Those [factors] are synergistic with each other, leading to increased heart rate and likely increased heart pressure and risks, even in young, healthy individuals.”
The findings highlight the need to stay well-hydrated, the doctor noted, as alcohol is a diuretic and airflight is already somewhat dehydrating due to the dry cabin air.
“Be aware that although restive sleep on long flights makes sense, it may interfere with REM sleep and quality of sleep — and may affect oxygen pressure to the point where it is below 90%,” Siegel warned.
Alcohol is a diuretic and airflight is already somewhat dehydrating due to the dry cabin air, the researchers said. (iStock)
Dr. David Campbell, clinical and program director of Recover Together in Bend, Oregon, who was also not involved in the study, said it supports the findings that alcohol consumption and sleep combined with the pressurized environments found on airplanes reduces oxygen levels and increases heart rate.
“Sleep deprivation has been closely associated with increases in irritability, agitation and brain fog, as well as escalations of anxiety, depression and challenges with mood regulation and memory — things most people would typically like to avoid on their next family vacation or business trip,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I would caution those with obstructive sleep apnea, COPD or obesity from consuming alcohol pre-flight or in-flight.”
While Campbell echoed Siegel’s comment that the study is small in scale, he said the findings should be investigated further to gauge the physiological and psychological impact.
“Despite the need for further research and a larger sample size, I would caution those with obstructive sleep apnea, COPD or obesity against consuming alcohol pre-flight or in-flight, to avoid co-consumption of alcohol and other sleep aids or medicines, and to limit blue light to improve sleep quality and mood when traveling,” he advised.
Alcohol alternatives on planes
Dr. Adam Scioli, chief medical officer at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, noted that most people drink alcohol when flying to fall asleep or to manage their stress, which itself increases the risk of a cardiovascular event.
“You’ve got a situation where because of the alcohol and most likely your sleep position, you don’t get restful sleep or go through all the stages of sleep, which causes additional stress on your heart and cardiovascular system,” said a chief medical officer. (iStock)
“Now you’ve got a situation where because of the alcohol and most likely your sleep position, you don’t get restful sleep or go through all the stages of sleep, which causes additional stress on your heart and cardiovascular system,” Scioli, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This can be exacerbated by the fact that many people don’t drink enough water before they fly, which causes dehydration — again increasing the likelihood of negative impact on their heart.”
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There are other, more effective ways to manage stress and reduce anxiety than drinking, according to Scioli.
Some of those include breathing, mindfulness and reading a book.
An expert recommended other ways to manage stress and reduce anxiety, such as breathing, mindfulness and reading a book. (iStock)
“Finally, to avoid cardiovascular events due to hypobaric hypoxia, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy meal and plan to manage stress during take off and landing,” Scioli advised.
“Know your heart health and take necessary precautions,” he said. “Avoid alcohol, cannabis and other drugs that can add stress to your cardiovascular system.”
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Anyone who has a true panic disorder or fear of flying should talk to a medical professional about medications that can be useful.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting further comment.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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