Pre-existing eye conditions and altitude
Feb 23, 2004 21: 07 EST
From the pages of High Altitude Medicine and Biology: 4(4), 2003
A comprehensive review of how pre-existing eye conditions may or may not be affected by altitude exposure by Drs. Mader and Rabin is an up to date reference for lay people and physicians alike. The authors review just what we know about altitude and conditions such as dry eye syndrome, monocular visual loss, post-refractive surgery procedure, and retinal and optic nerve diseases. I'll be bringing a copy with me to base camp this season...
(Mader TH, Tabin G. Going to high altitude with preexisting ocular conditions. pp419-430.)
In a brief report, Austrian scientists studied "elderly" mountaineers (these authors define elderly as over 35, which is a little disconcerting!) who were taking beta-blocking antihypertensive medications on a trip to moderate altitude. The subjects underwent cardiovascular testing at 1480m and again at 2311m and those on beta-blockers were found to have reduced exercise tolerance. This study was limited by small sample size, the findings are interesting. LOTS of folks take beta blockers, which limit the heart's ability to beat faster. Since an important part of acclimatization at altitude is increased heart rate, it would logically follow that exercise at altitude might be more difficult without the capacity to develop higher heart rate. This should spur some larger scale studies in the future.
(Faulhaber M, Flatz M, Burtscher M. Beta blockers may provoke oxygen desaturation during submaximal exercise at moderate altitudes in elderly persons. pp475-478.)
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