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When elderly patients ask whether going into the mountains is safe, physicians have little data on which to base a response. This study examined cardiovascular and metabolic effects of 2,500 meters of altitude in 20 men and women with a mean age of 68 years. Baseline and simulated acute high altitude (hypobaric chamber) measurements were obtained in Dallas, Texas, and then followed-up after five days of patient acclimatization in Vail, Colorado.
Mild symptoms of acute mountain sickness initially appeared in 45 percent of the subjects, but all subjects were well after acclimatization. Acute altitude exposure led to a fall in mean PaO2 from 78 at baseline to 54 mm Hg, and mean oxyhemoglobin saturation decreased from 96 to 92 percent. Work capa…