Cardiovascular

To qualify for a second-class medical certificate, you cannot have an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of several serious heart conditions. These disqualifying conditions include:

• Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Angina (chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart)
• Coronary heart disease that required treatment, or that caused symptoms or was clinically significant even without treatment
• Cardiac valve replacement
• Permanent pacemaker implantation
• Heart transplant

This standard matters because second-class medicals are required for commercial pilot operations. If you have any of these cardiovascular conditions in your medical history, you won't meet the standard for initial certification. However, the FAA may grant special issuance authorization in some cases, allowing you to fly despite these conditions if you can demonstrate adequate cardiovascular function through additional testing and documentation.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*