Seasonal Effects of High-Altitude Forest Travel on Cardiovascular Function: An Overlooked Cardiovascular Risk of Forest Activity

Tsung-Ming Tsao, Jing-Shiang Hwang, Ming-Jer Tsai, Sung-Tsun Lin, Charlene Wu and Ta-Chen Su
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Tsung-Ming Tsao: The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou 55750, Taiwan
Jing-Shiang Hwang: Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
Ming-Jer Tsai: The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou 55750, Taiwan
Sung-Tsun Lin: The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou 55750, Taiwan
Charlene Wu: Global Health Program, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei 10055, Taiwan
Ta-Chen Su: The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou 55750, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Cardiovascular physiological responses involving hypoxemia in low temperature environments at high altitude have yet to be adequately investigated. This study aims to demonstrate the health effects of hypoxemia and temperature changes in cardiovascular functions (CVFs) by comparing intra-individual differences as participants ascend from low (298 m, 21.9 °C) to high altitude (2729 m, 9.5 °C). CVFs were assessed by measuring the arterial pressure waveform according to cuff sphygmomanometer of an oscillometric blood pressure (BP) device. The mean ages of participants in winter and summer were 43.6 and 41.2 years, respectively. The intra-individual brachial systolic, diastolic BP, heart rate, and cardiac output of participants significantly increased, as participants climbed uphill from low to high altitude forest. Following the altitude increase from 298 m to 2729 m, with the atmosphere gradually reducing by 0.24 atm, the measured average SpO 2 of participants showed a significant reduction from 98.1% to 81.2%. Using mixed effects model, it is evident that in winter, the differences in altitude affects CVFs by significantly increases the systolic BP, heart rate, left ventricular dP/dt max and cardiac output. This study provides evidence that cardiovascular workload increased significantly among acute high-altitude travelers as they ascend from low to high altitude, particularly in winter.

Keywords: high altitude; hypoxia; cardiovascular function; acute mountain sickness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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