M a r i a W i l l e , T h o m a s B u c h e r, K l e m e n s M a i r e r, M a r t i n B u r t s c h e r
Alters- und geschlechtsspezifische Inzidenz der Akuten Bergkrankheit (ABK) in den Alpen Age and gender related incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) in the Alps S U M M A RY Purpose: To assess the incidence of AMS at six different altitudes in the Eastern and Western parts of the Alps with a special focus on the incidence of AMS in relation to age and gender. Methods: Questionnaires were used to obtain information from 576 mountaineers at six different altitudes in the Alps: 2200 m, 2500 m, 2800 m, 3000 m, 3500 m and 3800 m, after having spent at least one night (except at 3000 m) at altitude. AMS was assessed using the Lake Louise Score. Subjects with a score of four or more were defined as suffering from AMS. Heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured with a pulse oxymeter. Statistical analyses were made using the open source program package R, version 2.4.0. Results: 25% of the mountaineers suffer from acute mountain sickness. The incidence of AMS rises increasingly with higher altitude: 10,1 % at 2200 m, 16,4 % at 2500 m, 26,1 % at 2800 m, 21,3 % at 3000 m, 42,5 % at 3500 m and 43,4 % at 3800 m. Women show a 1,8 higher relative chance to develop AMS than men. Older subjects have also a higher risk for AMS, e.g. the relative chance of a 52 year old person to suffer from AMS is 4 times higher than for a 9 year old. Conclusion: AMS occurs already at moderate altitudes like 2200 m and increases markedly with increasing altitudes. Women are more susceptible to develop AMS than men. The relative chance to develop AMS increases with aging. These findings are partly in contrast to prior studies. This might probably be explained by the fact that our study population, by including the Eastern Alps, rather reflect the general population as did prior studies, which mainly considered the Western Alps. Keywords: acute mountain sickness (AMS), altitude, incidence, mountaineering, susceptibility, gender, age, Eastern Alps, Western Alps.
Z U S A M M E N FA S S U N G Symptome der Akuten Bergkrankheit (ABK) kรถnnen bereits in moderaten Hรถhen auftreten, wobei die Inzidenz von ABK mit zunehmender Hรถhe signifi-
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