Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmias Among Climbers on Mount Everest
- Prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
In this study, more than 1 in 3 healthy individuals experienced cardiac arrhythmia during the climb of Mount Everest, thereby confirming the association between exposure to high altitude and incidence of cardiac arrhythmia.
Study context
- Population
- Healthy individuals climbing Mount Everest (8849 m), Nepal, 202334 reached basecamp
- Participants
- 41 individuals
- Outcome
- Incidence of composite of supraventricular (>30 s) and ventricular (>3 beats) tachyarrhythmia and bradyarrhythmia (sinoatrial arrest, second- or third-degree AV block)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Primary composite arrhythmia end point
Primary end point-relevant events
45 events in 13 individuals (38.2%)
Bradyarrhythmic events
43 events in 13 individuals (38.2%)
Ventricular tachycardias
2 in 2 individuals (5.9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Arrhythmias by supplemental bottled oxygen use
- With supplemental bottled oxygen
- 9 arrhythmias (20%) in 5 participants
- Without supplemental bottled oxygen (lower altitudes)
- 36 events (80%) in 11 participants
Arrhythmia event rate by altitude
per 24 hours
- Event rate at 5300 m
- 0.16
- Event rate at 7300 m
- 0.37
- Proportion of individuals with arrhythmia stable across increasing altitude; event rates decreased at higher altitudes with supplemental oxygen
Safety
Dizziness or syncope
- Participants reporting dizziness or syncope
- 0
Original publication
Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmias Among Climbers on Mount Everest. JAMA Cardiol. Published 1 May 2024. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.0364
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it