Altitude sickness pathophysiology
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]
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.