Disease relevance of Altitude Sickness

• Since dexamethasone is useful in treating some forms of cerebral edema, we investigated its role in the prevention of acute mountain sickness [1].
• OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the efficacy of acetazolamide in the treatment of chronic mountain sickness and the importance of nocturnal hypoxemia in its pathophysiology [2].
• CONCLUSIONS: Acetazolamide, the first efficient pharmacologic treatment of chronic mountain sickness without adverse effects, reduces hypoventilation, which may be accentuated during sleep, and blunts erythropoiesis [2].
• Preliminary studies indicate that pentoxifylline may also prove useful in vaso-occlusive crises of sickle cell disease, some hearing disorders, disorders of eye circulation, high altitude sickness and asthenozoospermia [3].
• The effect of naproxen on acute mountain sickness and vascular responses to hypoxia [4].

Psychiatry related information on Altitude Sickness

• In a trial to assess the cognitive impairment attributable to benign acute mountain sickness (AMS) and to acetazolamide, six women and five men, 20-35 years old, ascended from sea-level to 3600 m in 36 h and were assessed for deterioration in performance on psychological tests [5].

High impact information on Altitude Sickness

• JAMA patient page. Altitude sickness [6].
• Sixty-four climbers participated in a randomized clinical trial of acetazolamide prophylaxis for acute mountain sickness (AMS) during rapid, active ascent of MT Rainier [7].
• Carbon dioxide breathing and mountain sickness [8].
• The effect of adding CO2 to inhaled air in six subjects with acute mountain sickness was investigated during a medical expedition to 5400 m.3% CO2 in ambient air increased ventilation and resulted in a rise in PaO2 of between 24% and 40% [9].
• Methazolamide in acute mountain sickness [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Altitude Sickness

• Prevention of acute mountain sickness by dexamethasone [1].
• Acute mountain sickness and acetazolamide. Clinical efficacy and effect on ventilation [7].
• Phenytoin and acute mountain sickness on Mount Everest [11].
• Nifedipine does not prevent acute mountain sickness [12].
• We found an age-specific increase in the frequency of high hemoglobin (Hb > 213 milligrams), low oxygen saturation (O2 saturation < 81.5%) and high chronic mountain sickness scores [13].

Biological context of Altitude Sickness

• OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of acetazolamide in the treatment of patients with acute mountain sickness and the effect of the drug on pulmonary gas exchange in acute mountain sickness [14].
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a hypoxia-induced protein that produces vascular permeability, and limited evidence suggests a possible role for VEGF in the pathophysiology of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and/or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) [15].
• In the present study we used this method to compare the circulation time in 20 healthy male high altitude residents (Group N with a mean hematocrit of 50%) and 17 chronic mountain sickness patients (Group CMS with a mean hematocrit of 69%) [16].

Anatomical context of Altitude Sickness

• As compared with the subjects who received placebo, those who received nifedipine had a significantly lower mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure, alveolar-arterial pressure gradient of oxygen and symptom score of acute mountain sickness at 4559 m [17].

Gene context of Altitude Sickness

• Greater free plasma VEGF and lower soluble VEGF receptor-1 in acute mountain sickness [15].
• Atrial natriuretic peptide in acute mountain sickness [18].
• Prior reports indicate that acetazolamide, an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, in moderate doses reduces symptoms of acute mountain sickness, and in large doses increases cerebral blood flow [19].
• The effects of a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor on acute mountain sickness and urinary leukotriene e4 after ascent to high altitude [20].
• The NMDA receptor may be involved in the pathogenesis of acute mountain sickness (AMS) [21].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Altitude Sickness

• METHODS: In a double-blind study, we compared the efficacy of a combination of sustained-release acetazolamide and low-dose dexamethasone and acetazolamide alone for prophylaxis against acute mountain sickness (AMS) caused by rapid ascent to high altitude [22].

References