vesicles
Colonel
Actually, paradoxically, high blood pressure might actually be beneficial for fighter pilots.
Most hard manoeuvres fighters pull are positive-G, which means blood drains from the brain into the legs. So high blood pressure means that blood drains slower, giving the pilot a precious few more seconds/ degrees before they start greying out from lack of oxygen to the brain.
High blood pressure would be very bad for negative-g manoeuvres where blood pools in the head. And that is where they might have a higher risk of burst blood vessels in the brain and eyes (which is why it is called red-out).
So maybe the trick to fighting Russians is to favour negative-g manoeuvres
Hahaha! Nice idea!!
Well, this would work if these pilots only have to pull positive G's once a year. Doing it on a regular basis won't help them. Keep in mind that the cause of high blood pressure is inflamed blood vessels, which contain blockage and lose elasticity. Constantly expanding and shrinking blood vessels during aggressive maneuvering, either positive or negative G's will put so much pressure on the blood vessels. That's why I mentioned aneurysm. And another side effect of less physically fit pilot would be enlarged heart...
Fit pilots have no problem doing any of these because their healthy blood vessels can take the abuse and recover quickly. They can afford to intentionally force the blood into the brain for a few seconds during positive G's.
Draining blood from the brain too slowly also means so much blood being stuck in the brain for too long. That might cause internal bleeding in the brain. A handful of kids die from this annually while riding roller coasters.
