Reduction in mortality from coronary heart disease in men
residing at high altitude.
Mortimer EA Jr, Monson RR, MacMahon B
In New Mexico, where inhabited areas vary from 914 to over 2135 m above
sea level, we
compared age-adjusted mortality rates for arteriosclerotic heart disease
for white men and women
for the years 1957-1970 in five sets of counties, grouped by altitude
in 305-m (1000-foot)
increments. The results show a serial decline in mortality from the
lowest to the highest altitude for
males but not for females. Mortality rates for males residing in the
county groups higher than 1220 m
in order of ascending altitude were 98, 90, 86 and 72 per cent of that
for the county group below
1220-m altitude (P less than 0.0001). The results do not appear to
be explained by artifacts in
ascertainment, variations in ethnicity or urbanization. A possible
explanation of the trend is that
adjustment to residence at high altitude is incomplete and daily activities
therefore represent greater
exercise than when undertaken at lower altitudes.