Cardiopulmonary Effects of Stressful Exercise at Altitude (4,000 ft) of Individuals with Sickle Cell Trait (HbAS or SCT).
Abstract
Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) is a heterozygous state characterized by hemoglobin AS and occurs in 7-9% of American Blacks. Individuals with SCT are assymptomatic and their SCT is generally regarded as a benign condition under normal physiologic conditions. Environmental hypoxia and strenuous exercise have been implicated either alone or in combination in a spectrum of multisystem medical complications reported to occur in some individuals with SCT. Although the relationship between environmental hypoxia > or = 3000m) and the incidence, although rare, of clinically significant sickling (i.e., splenic syndrome) in SCT is generally accepted, the relationship between strenuous exertion and the occurrence of medical complications due to the presence of HbS in individuals with SCT remains controversial. Although theoretically attractive, it has never been proven whether the association between exercise and environmental hypoxia may promote the necessary conditions for polymerization of HbS and sickling of the red cells with the consequent medical complications. To evaluate the physiologic responses to acute strenuous exercise of individuals with SCT under different levels of environmental hypoxia, two protocols were carried out. Two tests were conducted which examined the cardiopulmonary effects of stressful exercise at altitude of 1200m and at 2300m of individuals with sickle cell trait (HbAS). Keywords: Blood diseases; Blood chemistry; Exercise(physiology); Stress(physiology).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA180626
Entities
People
- Idelle M. Weisman
- R. J. Zeballos