Hematological and pulmonary responses to high altitude in Quechuas: a multivariate approach

This study investigates the relationships among hematological variables, pulmonary function, and age in a sample of high-altitude natives. The following anthropometric and physiological variables were examined in 77 adult Quechua males from the Peruvian Central Andes (Huancavelica, 3,680 m): height, weight, sitting height, chest diameters, chest and abdominal circumferences, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit (Htc), diastolic and systolic blood pressure, body temperature, pulmonary rate, and pulse rate. The means of these variables for the Huancavelica sample fall within the range of variability previously observed in Andean populations. Principal components analysis and canonical correlation analysis suggest that in this native Andean population: 1) aging decreases lung function but does not affect hematological features, and 2) there is a negative age-independent correlation between lung function (FVC, FEV1, PEF) and hematological traits (Hb, RBC, Htc).