Obese men found more susceptible to altitude sickness

Such factors as age, sex, level of exertion and speed of ascent all affect whether a person will become ill at high altitudes. Being obese may be added to the list.

Researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas put 19 men in an altitude chamber that simulated being at 12,000 feet for 24 hours. They found that the obese men were more susceptible to acute mountain sickness.

Headache was the most common symptom. Obese men also had lower levels of oxygen in their blood.

“Obese individuals should pay close attention to the recommendations regarding travel to altitude, such as a slow, gradual ascent,” said Tony G. Babb, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and the study’s senior author.

The study was published in the Aug. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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-- Dianne Partie Lange