Travellers, beware! Drinking on long haul flights may threaten sleeping passengers’ heart health, study warns Drinking alcohol on a plane lowers the amount of oxygen in people’s blood READ MORE: The airlines that don't ask passengers to stop eating peanuts By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor Published: 23:30, 3 June 2024 | Updated: 23:30, 3 June 2024 e-mail View comments There's nothing that gets you in the holiday mood quite like that first glass of wine or pint of beer at the airport. But travellers, beware – as the combination of alcohol plus cabin pressure may threaten sleeping plane passengers’ heart health, suggests the first study of its kind. Researchers have discovered that the duo lowers the amount of oxygen in people’s blood (SpO2) and raises heart rate for a prolonged period of time, even in people who are young and healthy.
The higher the alcohol consumption, the greater these effects might be, particularly among older passengers and those with existing medical conditions, they warned. And they suggested it may now be time to consider restricting on-board access to alcohol – particularly on long-haul flights. A team from the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne, Germany , recruited 48 people for their study aged between 18 and 40.
Researchers have discovered that the duo lowers the amount of oxygen in people’s blood and raises heart rate, even in young and healthy people Participants were split into two groups – half slept in a lab in no.
