Why the study?
Does slower induction to high altitude by road prevent increased urinary catecholamine excretion and high-altitude illness?
Does slower induction to high altitude by road prevent increased urinary catecholamine excretion and high-altitude illness?
Slower induction to high altitude by road prevents the increase in sympathoadrenal activity and high-altitude illness seen with rapid induction by air.
Road induction linked to absent illness and normal catecholamines; hypothesis-generating for ascent-rate effects on sympathoadrenal activity.
In a preliminary pilot study we had reported a significant difference in urinary catecholamine excretion between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals inducted to high altitude by air. The present study covers slower induction by road; 25 lowlanders ascended from 1,800 to 3,658 m in 50 h and 33 similar subjects covered the journey in 6 h. They were studied according to the protocal used in the initial study. None of the 58 subjects inducted by road developed symptoms of high-altitude illness. Their urinary catecholamine excretion remained normal during the 10 days' stay at high altitude. These findings lend support to our earlier contention that there might be a relationship between increased sympathoadrenal activity and high-altitude illnesses.
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Hoon et al. (1977) studied this question.
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