Identification of susceptibility to acute mountain sickness by detecting vascular tone using a photoplethysmographic sensor

Abstract

Vascular tone had shown the potential susceptibility to acute mountain sickness (AMS), however the detailed tendency has not been studied. Vascular tone, SpO2 and Rate pressure product (RPP) were studied in seventeen healthy subjects before and after rapid ascent from sea level to 3658 m. Human acute mountain sickness was evaluated by the Lake Louise Score (LLS). Nine of the seventeen participants were diagnosed with AMS. On initial exposure, there was a significant decrease in vascular tone between subjects with and without AMS. Significance was also found in the decrease of SpO2 before and after rapid ascent but the differences between subjects with and without AMS did not reach significance during the initial phase. s:Vascular tone on initial exposure in response to rapid ascent is a possible sign of susceptibility to AMS. Conclusion: measurement of vascular tone using a wearable sensor throughout the acute phase response will provide numerical values of pathophysiology throughout the development of AMS.