Risk Of Mountain Sickness Research Articles

Follow-up study about hydration parameters at moderate altitude: Measurements in healthy volunteers based on bio-electric impedance analysis (BIA)

During residence in high mountain regions, the human water hydration status changes and, from the height of ~ 3,000 m above sea level, is associated with the risk of mountain sickness. The present investigation assessed this phenomenon at moderate height (1,300–2,300 m above sea level) after a residence time of approximately one week by means of bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). 132 volunteers, attendees of a sports medicine congress (78 men, 54 women), agreed to enter the study. All participants underwent BIA measurements initially and after one week’s time. Apart from the basic characteristics – resistance (resistor, R) and capacitor resistor (reactance, Xc) – derived characteristics such as whole body water (TBW), body cell mass (BCM) or extracellular cell mass (ECM) were of interest. Significant changes after the stay in moderate altitude were only verified with regard to hand resistance (R). As the resistance decreased in both men and women, tissue hydration was probably stimulated. In conclusion, the study showed that a 1-week stay at moderate altitude shows only a slight influence on the BIA parameters.

Change of hydration parameters in moderate altitude: measurements in healthy volunteers by means of bioelectric impedance analysis

During residence in high mountain regions, the human water hydration status changes and, from the height of approximately 3000 m above sea level, is associated with the risk of mountain sickness. The present investigation should assess this phenomenon in moderate height (1300–2300 m above sea level) after a residence time of approximately one week by means of bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). 50 volunteers, attendees of a sports medicine congress (33 men, 17 women), agreed to enter the study. All participants underwent BIA measurements initially and after one week. Apart from the basic characteristics – resistance (resistor, R) and capacitor resistor (reactance, Xc) – derived characteristics, such as total body water (TBW), body cell mass (BCM) and extra-cellular mass (ECM) were of interest. Significant changes after the stay in moderate altitude were not verified. As resistance decreased in both men and women, extracellular hydration was probably stimulated. Altogether, the study shows that an approximately one-week stay had no substantial influence on the BIA parameters in moderate altitude. In this regard, additional investigations in high altitudes or studies with longer duration of stay should be encouraged.

Glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 genotypes and the risk of mountain sickness

To explore the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1, T1 and susceptibility to mountain sickness. Forty-three soldiers with acute mountain sickness and 80 healthy soldiers matching with sex/age and training under the same condition were divided into case group and control group. A multiple polymerase chain reaction method was used to detect GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes in genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood cells from both cases and controls. The frequency of the GSTT1 positive genotype was significantly higher in cases (69.8%) than in controls (42.5%) (P = 0.004, OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.42 approximately 6.86). The frequency of GSTM1 negative genotype was also higher in cases (72.1%) than in controls (52.5%) (P = 0.03, OR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.05 approximately 5.02). Persons with both GSTM1 and GSTT1 negative genotypes had 5-fold more risk than those with GSTT1 negative and GSTM1 positive genotypes in developing mountain sickness (OR = 5.04, 95% CI: 1.00 approximately 25.3). Genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 may be the risk factors in the development of mountain sickness.