Medicine at high altitude provides important insights into the acute and chronic effects of hypoxia. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common syndrome occurring after acute ascent to over 2,500 m and is caused by increased capillary permeability. A number of factors have been identified that increase the risk of AMS, in particular exercise. Avoiding rapid ascent, undue exercise and the use of ...

The response of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity to three grades of hypoxia was studied in two groups of human subjects. Hypoxic gas mixtures having oxygen concentrations of 14, 12.6 and 10.4% were breathed successively for a period of 10 min at each concentration. Venous blood was sampled at the end of each of the three periods and arterial oxygen saturation was recorded thro...