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High altitude and nail growth.

M P S Sawhney¹

¹Department of Dermatology and STD, Command Hospital (SC), Pune-411 040, India.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology

|July 28, 2007

Summary

High altitude environments significantly decrease nail growth rates in both native highlanders and lowlanders. Hypoxia and cold are key factors affecting this physiological change.

Area of Science:

Physiology
Altitude Medicine
Environmental Health

Background:

Nail growth is a physiological process that can be influenced by environmental factors.
High altitude environments present unique challenges including hypoxia and extreme cold.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of high altitude on linear nail growth rates.
To compare nail growth between native highlanders and lowlanders acclimatizing to high altitude.

Main Methods:

Linear nail growth was measured in 22 Ladakhi highlanders and 6 lowlander troops at high altitude (3445 m) and in plains.
Age-matched comparisons were made between highlanders and lowlanders.

Main Results:

A significant decrease in nail growth was observed in both age-matched highlanders (93.11/day) and freshly inducted lowlanders (88.71/day) compared to plains (1191/day).

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While highlanders showed slightly higher growth than lowlanders at altitude, the difference was not statistically significant.

Nail growth in plains was substantially higher than at high altitude.

Conclusions:

Hypoxic and extreme cold conditions at high altitude significantly reduce nail growth.
Native highlanders may exhibit some degree of acclimatization, as suggested by slightly higher nail growth rates compared to newly arrived lowlanders.