How well do older persons tolerate moderate altitude?

We studied the physiologic and clinical responses to moderate altitude in 97 older men and women (aged 59 to 83 years) over 5 days in Vail, Colorado, at an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft). The incidence of acute mountain sickness was 16%, which is slightly lower than that reported for younger person...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Western journal of medicine 1995-01, Vol.162 (1), p.32-36
Main Authors: Roach, R C, Houston, C S, Honigman, B, Nicholas, R A, Yaron, M, Grissom, C K, Alexander, J K, Hultgren, H N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Adaptation, Physiological
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Altitude
Altitude Sickness - epidemiology
Altitude Sickness - etiology
Coronary Disease - complications
Female
Humans
Hypertension - complications
Lung Diseases - complications
Male
Middle Aged
Mountain sickness
Oxygen - blood
Physiological aspects
Risk Factors
Space life sciences
Spirometry
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Summary:We studied the physiologic and clinical responses to moderate altitude in 97 older men and women (aged 59 to 83 years) over 5 days in Vail, Colorado, at an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft). The incidence of acute mountain sickness was 16%, which is slightly lower than that reported for younger persons. The occurrence of symptoms of acute mountain sickness did not parallel arterial oxygen saturation or spirometric or blood pressure measurements. Chronic diseases were present in percentages typical for ambulatory elderly persons: 19 (20%) had coronary artery disease, 33 (34%) had hypertension, and 9 (9%) had lung disease. Despite this, no adverse signs or symptoms occurred in our subjects during their stay at this altitude. Our findings suggest that persons with preexisting, generally asymptomatic, cardiovascular or pulmonary disease can safely visit moderate altitudes.
ISSN:0093-0415
1476-2978