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Meier D, Collet TH, Locatelli I, Cornuz J, Kayser B, Simel DL, Sartori C. Does This Patient Have Acute Mountain Sickness?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA 2017; 318:1810-1819. [PMID: 29136449 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.16192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Acute mountain sickness (AMS) affects more than 25% of individuals ascending to 3500 m (11 500 ft) and more than 50% of those above 6000 m (19 700 ft). AMS may progress from nonspecific symptoms to life-threatening high-altitude cerebral edema in less than 1% of patients. It is not clear how to best diagnose AMS. OBJECTIVE To systematically review studies assessing the accuracy of AMS diagnostic instruments, including the visual analog scale (VAS) score, which quantifies the overall feeling of sickness at altitude (VAS[O]; various thresholds), Acute Mountain Sickness-Cerebral score (AMS-C; ≥0.7 indicates AMS), and the clinical functional score (CFS; ≥2 indicates AMS) compared with the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score (LLQS; score of ≥5). DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception to May 2017 identified 1245 publications of which 91 were suitable for prevalence analysis (66 944 participants) and 14 compared at least 2 instruments (1858 participants) using a score of 5 or greater on the LLQS as a reference standard. To determine the prevalence of AMS for establishing the pretest probability of AMS, a random-effects meta-regression was performed based on the reported prevalence of AMS as a function of altitude. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES AMS prevalence, likelihood ratios (LRs), sensitivity, and specificity of screening instruments. RESULTS The final analysis included 91 articles (comprising 66 944 study participants). Altitude predicted AMS and accounted for 28% of heterogeneity between studies. For each 1000-m (3300-ft) increase in altitude above 2500 m (8200 ft), AMS prevalence increased 13% (95% CI, 9.5%-17%). Testing characteristics were similar for VAS(O), AMS-C, and CFS vs a score of 5 or greater on the LLQS (positive LRs: range, 3.2-8.2; P = .22 for comparisons; specificity range, 67%-92%; negative LRs: range, 0.30-0.36; P = .50 for comparisons; sensitivity range, 67%-82%). The CFS asks a single question: "overall if you had any symptoms, how did they affect your activity (ordinal scale 0-3)?" For CFS, moderate to severe reduction in daily activities had a positive LR of 3.2 (95% CI, 1.4-7.2) and specificity of 67% (95% CI, 37%-97%); no reduction to mild reduction in activities had a negative LR of 0.30 (95% CI, 0.22-0.39) and sensitivity of 82% (95% CI, 77%-87%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The prevalence of acute mountain sickness increases with higher altitudes. The visual analog scale for the overall feeling of sickness at altitude, Acute Mountain Sickness-Cerebral, and clinical functional score perform similarly to the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score using a score of 5 or greater as a reference standard. In clinical and travel settings, the clinical functional score is the simplest instrument to use. Clinicians evaluating high-altitude travelers who report moderate to severe limitations in activities of daily living (clinical functional score ≥2) should use the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score to assess the severity of acute mountain sickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Meier
- Service of Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tinh-Hai Collet
- Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne; Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabella Locatelli
- Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne; Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Cornuz
- Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne; Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bengt Kayser
- Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David L Simel
- Department of Medicine, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Claudio Sartori
- Service of Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Tymko MM, Tremblay JC, Steinback CD, Moore JP, Hansen AB, Patrician A, Howe CA, Hoiland RL, Green DJ, Ainslie PN. UBC-Nepal Expedition: acute alterations in sympathetic nervous activity do not influence brachial artery endothelial function at sea level and high altitude. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2017; 123:1386-1396. [PMID: 28860174 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00583.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence indicates that increases in sympathetic nervous activity (SNA), and acclimatization to high altitude (HA), may reduce endothelial function as assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD); however, it is unclear whether such changes in FMD are due to direct vascular constraint, or consequential altered hemodynamics (e.g., shear stress) associated with increased SNA as a consequence of exposure to HA. We hypothesized that 1) at rest, SNA would be elevated and FMD would be reduced at HA compared with sea-level (SL); and 2) at SL and HA, FMD would be reduced when SNA was acutely increased, and elevated when SNA was acutely decreased. Using a novel, randomized experimental design, brachial artery FMD was assessed at SL (344 m) and HA (5,050 m) in 14 participants during mild lower-body negative pressure (LBNP; -10 mmHg) and lower-body positive pressure (LBPP; +10 mmHg). Blood pressure (finger photoplethysmography), heart rate (electrocardiogram), oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry), and brachial artery blood flow and shear rate (Duplex ultrasound) were recorded during LBNP, control, and LBPP trials. Muscle SNA was recorded (via microneurography) in a subset of participants (n = 5). Our findings were 1) at rest, SNA was elevated (P < 0.01), and absolute FMD was reduced (P = 0.024), but relative FMD remained unaltered (P = 0.061), at HA compared with SL; and 2) despite significantly altering SNA with LBNP (+60.3 ± 25.5%) and LBPP (-37.2 ± 12.7%) (P < 0.01), FMD was unaltered at SL (P = 0.448) and HA (P = 0.537). These data indicate that acute and mild changes in SNA do not directly influence brachial artery FMD at SL or HA.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The role of the sympathetic nervous system on endothelial function remains unclear. We used lower-body negative and positive pressure to manipulate sympathetic nervous activity at sea level and high altitude and measured brachial endothelial function via flow-mediated dilation. We found that acutely altering sympathetic nervous activity had no effect on endothelial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Tymko
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada;
| | - Joshua C Tremblay
- Cardiovascular Stress Response Laboratory, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Craig D Steinback
- Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Moore
- Extremes Research Group, School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Alex B Hansen
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | | | - Connor A Howe
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Ryan L Hoiland
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Daniel J Green
- School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; and.,Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Philip N Ainslie
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
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Tymko MM, Tremblay JC, Hansen AB, Howe CA, Willie CK, Stembridge M, Green DJ, Hoiland RL, Subedi P, Anholm JD, Ainslie PN. The effect of α 1 -adrenergic blockade on post-exercise brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation at sea level and high altitude. J Physiol 2016; 595:1671-1686. [PMID: 28032333 DOI: 10.1113/jp273183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Our objective was to quantify endothelial function (via brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation) at sea level (344 m) and high altitude (3800 m) at rest and following both maximal exercise and 30 min of moderate-intensity cycling exercise with and without administration of an α1 -adrenergic blockade. Brachial endothelial function did not differ between sea level and high altitude at rest, nor following maximal exercise. At sea level, endothelial function decreased following 30 min of moderate-intensity exercise, and this decrease was abolished with α1 -adrenergic blockade. At high altitude, endothelial function did not decrease immediately after 30 min of moderate-intensity exercise, and administration of α1 -adrenergic blockade resulted in an increase in flow-mediated dilatation. Our data indicate that post-exercise endothelial function is modified at high altitude (i.e. prolonged hypoxaemia). The current study helps to elucidate the physiological mechanisms associated with high-altitude acclimatization, and provides insight into the relationship between sympathetic nervous activity and vascular endothelial function. ABSTRACT We examined the hypotheses that (1) at rest, endothelial function would be impaired at high altitude compared to sea level, (2) endothelial function would be reduced to a greater extent at sea level compared to high altitude after maximal exercise, and (3) reductions in endothelial function following moderate-intensity exercise at both sea level and high altitude are mediated via an α1 -adrenergic pathway. In a double-blinded, counterbalanced, randomized and placebo-controlled design, nine healthy participants performed a maximal-exercise test, and two 30 min sessions of semi-recumbent cycling exercise at 50% peak output following either placebo or α1 -adrenergic blockade (prazosin; 0.05 mg kg -1 ). These experiments were completed at both sea-level (344 m) and high altitude (3800 m). Blood pressure (finger photoplethysmography), heart rate (electrocardiogram), oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry), and brachial artery blood flow and shear rate (ultrasound) were recorded before, during and following exercise. Endothelial function assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured before, immediately following and 60 min after exercise. Our findings were: (1) at rest, FMD remained unchanged between sea level and high altitude (placebo P = 0.287; prazosin: P = 0.110); (2) FMD remained unchanged after maximal exercise at sea level and high altitude (P = 0.244); and (3) the 2.9 ± 0.8% (P = 0.043) reduction in FMD immediately after moderate-intensity exercise at sea level was abolished via α1 -adrenergic blockade. Conversely, at high altitude, FMD was unaltered following moderate-intensity exercise, and administration of α1 -adrenergic blockade elevated FMD (P = 0.032). Our results suggest endothelial function is differentially affected by exercise when exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. These findings have implications for understanding the chronic impacts of hypoxaemia on exercise, and the interactions between the α1 -adrenergic pathway and endothelial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Tymko
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Joshua C Tremblay
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Alex B Hansen
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Connor A Howe
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Chris K Willie
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Mike Stembridge
- Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Daniel J Green
- School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ryan L Hoiland
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
| | - Prajan Subedi
- Pulmonary/Critical Care Section, Medical Service, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - James D Anholm
- Pulmonary/Critical Care Section, Medical Service, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Philip N Ainslie
- Centre for Heart, Lung, and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
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