The role of perinatal hypoxia in the development of preclinical CMS

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a significant public health problem for the more than 140 million persons living at high altitudes (>2500 m) yet its etiology remains incompletely understood, in part, because the effects of normal aging obscure the identification of causal factors. Excessive erythrocytosis (EE, Hb 18.3 g/dL) is considered to be a preclinical form of CMS. We hypothesized that perinatal hypoxia increases susceptibility to CMS by impairing development of pulmonary structure and/or respiratory control. Methods: 30 EE and 29 controls were selected for detailed physiological study from a survey of 820 young (18-25 yr) ABSTRACTS 293 male residents of La Paz/El Alto (3600-4100 m).