Is syncope related to moderate altitude exposure?
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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Blue-hazard-free Candlelight OLED
Published on: March 19, 2017
R Nicholas1, P D O'Meara, N Calonge
1Colorado Altitude Research Institute, Snake River Health Services, Keystone 80435.
Study Objective:
To investigate factors related to syncope occurring on recent ascent to moderate altitude.
Design:
A 1-year retrospective case-control study, using local acclimatized residents as a control group.
Setting:
The two main ambulance destinations for Summit County, Colorado (elevation, 2770 m).
Patients:
All patients with a diagnosis of syncope, near-syncope, or fainting whose medical records were available for review.
Results:
There was a significant relationship (P less than .05) between syncope of unknown origin and recent arrival at altitude (less than 24 hours), and a significant inverse relationship (P less than .05) between syncope of unknown origin and arterial oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry.
Conclusions:
Short-term exposure to moderate altitude may be related to otherwise unexplained syncope in healthy young adults. We suggest the name high-altitude syncope for this entity and encourage further research in this area.
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