Effect of High Altitude
Conditions
Brief summary
Prospective interventional trial in lowlanders evaluating effect of acute exposure, acclimatization and re-exposure to high altitude
Detailed description
Low altitude baseline measurements will be performed in Santiago de Chile, 520 m, over the course of 3 days. Participants will then travel by commercial airline (5 h flight) and by bus (3 h ride) to the ALMA base camp located at 2900 m near San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile. Participants will stay there for the next 7 nights and they will be spend the days (6-8 h daily) at the telescope station at 5050 m while undergoing physiological testing. Daily transports from 2900 to 5050 m will be by car (1 h ride, one way). After the first 7 day altitude sojourn participants will return to the Santiago area (520 m) for a 7 day recovery period. A second altitude sojourn cycle with an identical schedule as the one described above and a final low altitude stay of 3 days will follow. Measurements on study subjects will be performed at baseline (lowland, Santiago de Chile), then at 2nd day of altitude exposure and 7th day at altitude before returning to lowland; those are repeated in the second altitude sojourn cycle. Measurements will be conducted by qualified specialists using a portable ultrasound device.
Interventions
OTHERAltitude exposure
Altitude exposure
Sponsors
University of Calgary
University of Zurich
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Born, raised and currently living \<800m * No overnight stay at altitudes \>1500 m 4 weeks before the study
Exclusion criteria
* Previous altitude intolerance to altitude \<3000 m * Pregnancy * Health impairment, which requires regular treatment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Systolic pulmonary artery pressure measured by echocardiography | [Time Frame: lowland baseline at 520m, day 2; first sojourn at 5050 m, day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m, day 2, 7] | Change in systolic pulmonary artery pressure over the course of high altitude exposure during 2 sojourns at 5050 m |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Indices of right ventricular dysfunction | [Time Frame: lowland baseline at 520m, day 2; first sojourn at 5050 m, day 2, 7; sec |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed