1. Impaired osmoregulation at high altitude. Studies on Mt Everest.
- Author
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Blume FD, Boyer SJ, Braverman LE, Cohen A, Dirkse J, and Mordes JP
- Subjects
- Arginine Vasopressin blood, Arginine Vasopressin urine, Calcium blood, Carbon Dioxide blood, Chlorides blood, Creatinine blood, Creatinine urine, Humans, Male, Osmolar Concentration, Phosphates blood, Potassium blood, Sodium blood, Water-Electrolyte Imbalance blood, Water-Electrolyte Imbalance urine, Altitude, Mountaineering, Water-Electrolyte Imbalance metabolism
- Abstract
Osmoregulation was studied in 13 mountaineers who had experienced long-term exposure to high altitude on Mt Everest. Serum osmolality rose from 290 +/- 1 mOsm/kg to 295 +/- 2 mOsm/kg at 5,400 m and finally to 302 +/- 4 mOsm/kg at 6,300 m after a mean of 26.5 days above 5,400 m. Despite this degree of osmoconcentration, plasma arginine-vasopressin concentration remained unchanged: 1.1 +/-0.1 microU/mL at sea level, 0.8 +/- 0.1 microU/mL at 5,400 m, and 0.9 +/- 0.1 microU/mL at 6,300 m. Urinary vasopressin excretion was also similar at all three altitudes. We conclude that prolonged exposure to high altitude may result in persistent impairment of osmoregulation, caused in part by an inappropriate arginine-vasopressin response to hyperosmolality.
- Published
- 1984