The increase in hemoglobin concentration with altitude varies among human populations
Decreased oxygen availability at high altitude requires physiological adjustments allowing for adequate tissue oxygenation. One such mechanism is a slow increase in the hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) resulting in elevated [Hb] in high-altitude residents. Diagnosis of anemia at different altitudes r...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
30 June 2019
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| In: |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Year: 2019, Volume: 1450, Pages: 204-220 |
| ISSN: | 1749-6632 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/nyas.14136 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14136 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nyas.14136 
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| Author Notes: | Max Gassmann, Heimo Mairbäurl, Leonid Livshits, Svenja Seide, Matthes Hackbusch, Monika Malczyk, Simone Kraut, Norina N. Gassmann, Norbert Weissmann, and Martina U. Muckenthaler |
| Summary: | Decreased oxygen availability at high altitude requires physiological adjustments allowing for adequate tissue oxygenation. One such mechanism is a slow increase in the hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) resulting in elevated [Hb] in high-altitude residents. Diagnosis of anemia at different altitudes requires reference values for [Hb]. Our aim was to establish such values based on published data of residents living at different altitudes by applying meta-analysis and multiple regressions. Results show that [Hb] is increased in all high-altitude residents. However, the magnitude of increase varies among the regions analyzed and among ethnic groups within a region. The highest increase was found in residents of the Andes (1 g/dL/1000 m), but this increment was smaller in all other regions of the world (0.6 g/dL/1000 m). While sufficient data exist for adult males and females showing that sex differences in [Hb] persist with altitude, data for infants, children, and pregnant women are incomplete preventing such analyses. Because WHO reference values were originally based on [Hb] of South American people, we conclude that individual reference values have to be defined for ethnic groups to reliably diagnose anemia and erythrocytosis in high-altitude residents. Future studies need to test their applicability for children of different ages and pregnant women. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 29.04.2020 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1749-6632 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/nyas.14136 |