On the alveolar pco2 and po2 of high altitude natives living at sea
level.
Le[acute]on-Velarde, Fabiola, Manuel Vargas, Carlos Monge-C., Robert
W. Torrance, and Peter A. Robbins.
Departamento de Ciencias Fisiol[acute]ogicas/Instituto de
Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Apartado 4314, Lima 100, Per[acute]u, University Laboratory of
Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, U.K.
APStracts 3:0257A, 1996.
This study was designed to determine whether subjects born at high
altitude (HA; 2,000m or above) who subsequently move to near sea
level (SL) develop end-tidal PCO2 (PetCO2) and PO2 (PetO2) values
which equal those of SL natives living near SL. A total of 108 male
HA natives living near sea level were identified by survey of a
district in Lima, and a further 108 male SL natives from the same
district were identified as controls. Of these subjects, satisfactory
data for inclusion in the study were obtained from 93 HA subjects and
82 SL subjects. Mean PetCO2 and PetO2 were 37.7"2.5 Torr
(mean"SD) and 104.7"3.2 Torr in HA subjects, and 37.7"2.2
Torr and 104.8"3.0 Torr in SL subjects. The average difference
between SL natives and HA natives for PetCO2 was 0.07 Torr (-0.64 to
0.78, 95% CI) and for PetO2 was 0.05 Torr (-0.89 to 0.99, 95% CI).
The average age and weight of the SL and HA subjects did not differ,
but the HA subjects were shorter and tended to have larger vital
capacities, consistent with their origin at high altitude. We
conclude that the PetCO2 and PetO2 near SL of SL natives and HA
natives do not differ.
Received 3 October 1995; accepted in final form 21 May 1996.
APS Manuscript Number A1070-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 5 June 96