Enhanced Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in United States Subjects for Deployment to Antarctica

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in developed nations. Nearly half of asymptomatic CAD cases initially present as acute myocardial infarction (MI) or sudden cardiac death.Therefore, assessment of cardiovascular health is important in subjects who are deployed to remote stations with limited access to medical care, such as Antarctica. Effective screening strategies for detecting CAD and minimizing the risk of acute cardiovascular events in the deployed subjects are essential to mission success. Our study for the first time describes cardiovascular risk assessment in US subjects prior to their deployment to Antarctica. Methods: This report is a single center retrospective analysis of 135 subjects who underwent advanced cardiovascular screening from October 2013 to November 2017 prior to their deployment to Antarctica. Of the 135 subjects, 128 were assessed to be acceptable cardiac risk and were approved for deployment. However, only a total of 100 subjects proceeded for deployment to the South Pole. The deployment periods ranged from 6 to 324 days with a mean of 94.4 days (SD 73.8). All deployed subjects were exposed to the harsh cold climate in Antarctica. Primary outcomes include cardiovascular events such as acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Results: None of the 100 subjects had cardiac events reported during their deployment. Conclusions: The current enhanced cardiovascular screening process, prior to deployment to US Antarctic Program stations, appears effective in identifying subjects with low risk of cardiac events.