Physiology Commons^™

Is Professional Breath-Hold Diving Associated With Endothelial Dysfunction?, Emilie Woehrle

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Professional breath-hold diving has been linked to acute dangers; however, the long-term impacts on vascular health are unknown. The endothelium releases vasodilator substances and its functionality is an indicator of vascular health. We are testing the hypothesis that chronic exposure to severe hypoxia may alter endothelial function in breath hold divers. Divers and controls completed a flow-mediated dilation (FMD) protocol, where brachial blood flow velocity was measured following blood flow occlusion. Percent FMD was calculated as the primary measure of endothelial function. T-tests assessed the statistical significance of between-group differences. The %FMD were similar between groups (p >0.05); however, divers …