[Resistance to +Gz and +Gx loads of subjects in older age groups, healthy and with initial signs of atherosclerosis]

Abstract

Tolerance to +Gz and +Gx acceleration of healthy and atherosclerotic subjects, aged 40-49, was investigated during 256 centrifugation tests in Bulgaria and the USSR. As compared to the healthy people, the atherosclerotic subjects showed a lower tolerance: when exposed to 7 +Gz the tolerance threshold decreased from 5.93 +/- 0.57 g to 5.7 +/- 0.44 g (i. e. by 0.23 g). Visual disorders in the healthy and atherosclerotic subjects were recorded in 29 and 50%, respectively, and loss of consciousness in 9.56 and 15.15%, respectively (Bulgarian data). When exposed to 5 +Gz and 6 +Gx no subjects displayed visual disorders or loss of consciousness (Soviet data). However, lower tolerance of 5 +Gz due to cardiac arrhythmias was observed in 4.8% atherosclerotic patients and in none healthy subjects. Lower tolerance to 6 +Gx associated with cardiac arrhythmias was recorder in 23.8% atherosclerotic versus 11.8% healthy subjects (i. e. 12% more). Nevertheless, in most subjects, both healthy and atherosclerotic, acceleration tolerance was good. These findings indicate that individual assessment of acceleration tolerance is of great importance for people older than 40 years with health abnormalities.