RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Smoking, acute mountain sickness and altitude acclimatisation: a cohort study
JF Thorax
JO Thorax
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society
SP 914
OP 919
DO 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200623
VO 67
IS 10
A1 Tian-Yi Wu
A1 Shou-Quan Ding
A1 Jin-Liang Liu
A1 Jian-Hou Jia
A1 Zuo-Chun Chai
A1 Rui-Chen Dai
A1 Ji-Zhui Zhao
A1 Qi De Tang
A1 Bengt Kayser
YR 2012
UL http://thorax.bmj.com/content/67/10/914.abstract
AB Rationale The relationship between cigarette smoking and acute mountain sickness (AMS) is not clear. Objective To assess AMS risk and altitude acclimatisation in relation to smoking. Methods 200 healthy non-smokers and 182 cigarette smokers were recruited from Han lowland workers. These were men without prior altitude exposure, matched for age, health status and occupation, who were transported to an altitude of 4525 masl. Measurements AMS, smoking habits, arterial saturation (SpO2), haemoglobin (Hb), lung function and mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm) were assessed upon arrival and after 3 and 6 months. Main results Compared with non-smokers, smokers had a lower incidence of AMS and lower AMS scores than non-smokers upon arrival; higher Hb and PAPm associated with lower SpO2 at 3 and 6 months at altitude; and lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s and maximal voluntary ventilation at 3 and 6 months. Conclusions Smoking slightly decreases the risk of AMS but impairs long-term altitude acclimatisation and lung function during a prolonged stay at high altitude.