Altitude sickness pathophysiology: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 19:56, 23 September 2011
Overview
Pathophysiology
With ascent to altitude, subjects show some evidence of decreased effective circulating volume even without clinically significant changes. It is not clear whether decreased circulating volume is a significant risk factor in the development of Acute Mountain Sickness at high altitude.
Sherpas are well-known for their physical strength at high altitudes. They adapt to high altitude so well that little acute or chronic mountain sickness has been documented in them. The overrepresented I allele of the ACE gene in Sherpas might be one of the fundamental genetic factors responsible for maintaining physiological low-altitude ACE activity at high altitude, which may have an advantageous physiological role in adapting to a high-altitude environment [1]
The wild alleles of the Glu298Asp and eNOS4b/a polymorphisms of the endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) gene may be a benefit to the people living at high altitude (eg. sherpas) for adaptation [2].
References
- ↑ Droma Y, Hanaoka M, Basnyat B, Arjyal A, Neupane P, Pandit A; et al. (2008). "Adaptation to high altitude in Sherpas: association with the insertion/deletion polymorphism in the Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene". Wilderness Environ Med. 19 (1): 22–9. doi:10.1580/06-WEME-OR-073.1. PMID 18333655.
- ↑ Droma Y, Hanaoka M, Basnyat B, Arjyal A, Neupane P, Pandit A; et al. (2006). "Genetic contribution of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene to high altitude adaptation in sherpas". High Alt Med Biol. 7 (3): 209–20. doi:10.1089/ham.2006.7.209. PMID 16978133.