"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Acclimatize before high altitude activity.

Image: Thinkstock

Planning a skiing or mountain climbing trip at high altitude? You will want to rethink where you sleep the night before an activity. A study in July 2013 American Heart Journal suggests that older men can reduce their risk of sudden fatal heart attack by acclimating to high altitude first. Researchers analyzed greater than 300 heart attack deaths in elderly men who took a weeklong vacation within the Austrian mountains, 5,000 to six,000 feet above sea level. About 40% of individuals died cross-country, downhill, or backcountry skiing, and 60% died mountain climbing on easy terrain. Past studies have shown that men over the age of 34 who climb at this altitude have 4 times the chance of sudden death in comparison with those that do normal activities at lower altitudes. What the brand new study showed was that men who slept at about 2,300 feet above sea level the primary night were five times more prone to die on the primary day than men who slept at about 4,300 feet above sea level. It was more. Researchers have concluded that a period of declimatization before recreation can reduce heart attack triggers (the oxygen tension within the air is lower at higher altitudes, and your heart has to work harder. Is). In other words, in the event you're going skiing or mountain climbing within the mountains, give yourself a rest day first, and ensure it's on the altitude you're going to play.

No material on this site, no matter date, must be used as an alternative to direct medical advice out of your doctor or other qualified practitioner.