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Older Age as a Predictive Risk Factor for Acute Mountain Sickness.
Elan Small1, Caleb Phillips2, James Marvel3
1Emergency Medicine Residency, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.
The American Journal of Medicine
|October 29, 2021
Summary
Older age does not increase the risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS). A history of altitude illness, however, significantly increases AMS odds and should guide pre-ascent risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Altitude Medicine
- Physiology
- Travel Health
Background:
- The global older population is growing, with a significant number of them traveling to high altitudes.
- Aging physiology's impact on susceptibility to acute mountain sickness (AMS) is not well-established.
- This study addresses the inconclusive evidence regarding age and AMS risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between increasing age and the incidence and severity of acute mountain sickness.
- To determine if age is a significant risk factor for developing AMS during rapid ascent to high altitude.
Main Methods:
- A pooled analysis of 5 prospective randomized controlled trials.
- Participants underwent a rapid ascent from 1242 m to 3810 m.
- Acute mountain sickness was assessed using the 2018 Lake Louise Questionnaire criteria.
Main Results:
- Out of 491 participants, 48% were diagnosed with AMS.
- No significant correlation was found between age and AMS severity.
- Increasing age did not correlate with increased odds of developing AMS.
Conclusions:
- Older age is not associated with a higher incidence or severity of acute mountain sickness.
- A prior history of altitude illness is a strong predictor of AMS and crucial for risk stratification.
- Pre-ascent screening should consider a history of altitude illness over age.
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