Does Increasing Haemoglobin At High Altitude Alone Cause A Rise In Coronary Artery Disease; A Prospective Study

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of high altitude on haemoglobin concentration with coronary artery disease. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Skardu Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2018 Methodology: All individuals working at high altitudes diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) were included. Haemoglobin concentration was measured by doing a complete blood picture. Results: The total number of patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease in the study was 34 (all males). 16(47%) of the patients with coronary artery disease were evacuated from the height of 8000 to 13000 feet, 16(47%) from the height of 13001 to 18000 feet and 2(6%) patients were evacuated from the height of more than 18000 feet. The mean haemoglobin (Hb) of patients evacuated from the height of 8000 to 13000 feet was 15.7±1.4gm/dl; of patients evacuated from a height of 13001 to 18000 feet was 16.3±1.5gm/dl, and of patients evacuated from more than 18000 feet was 18.3±1.2gm/dl. Conclusion: Persistent rise in haemoglobin was noted with increasing altitude. However, most of the patients with coronary artery disease were from a height of 13000 to 18000 feet.