Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PEI, S. X.
Right arrow Articles by C.HARRIS, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by PEI, S. X.
Right arrow Articles by C.HARRIS, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Q J Med 1989; 71: 555-574
© 1989 Association of Physicians

research-article

Chronic Mountain Sickness in Tibet

S. X. PEI, X. J. CHEN, B. Z. SI REN, Y. H. LIU*, X. S. CHENG*, E. M. HARRIS{ddagger}, I.S. ANAND{dagger} and P. C.HARRIS{ddagger},

Workers' Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China Lhasa, Tibet *Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China {dagger}Department of Cardiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh, India {ddagger}National Heart and Lung Institute London

Address correspondence to Professor P. Harris, National Heart and Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY.

Accepted for publication 16 October 1988.

SUMMARY

A clinical syndrome identical to the chronic mountain sickness of the Andes occurs commonly in Lhasa, Tibet. It affects, almost exclusively, the immigrant Han population and develops after an average of 15 years' residence at high altitude. The early symptoms are attributable to polycythaemia-headache, dizziness, loss of memory and fatigue being prominent. In the later stages of the disease, dyspnoea and peripheral oedema develop. Haemodynamic investigations show pulmonary hypertension with a normal cardiac output and dilatation of the right ventricle in the long-established case. Respiratory gas studies provide evidence of alveolar underventilation and ventilation: perfusion inhomogeneity. Both clinical and investigatory data suggest that the earlier stages of the disease are dominated by polycythaemia, while cardiopulmonary involvement increases withthe duration of the disease. The disease is rare in women and uncommon in Tibetans. Cigarette smoking appears to be a contributory factor.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.