Dive Medicine

No doubt most of us have, at one time or another, cast a worried glance at one of our larger diving brethren and wondered how on earth they manage to kit up, let alone dive safely. It’s certainly one of the commoner comments made to me in the consulting room. There are many reasons that diving attracts those of, ah, more expansive girth, not least the temporary removal of gravitational pull on their abdomen. However, one of the consequences of obesity is heart disease, which is the third most common cause of death whilst diving. In this article I want to highlight a few aspects of this often overlooked risk factor in diving accidents.
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