Living at high altitude guards against heart disease
March 27th, 2011 - 6:19 pm ICT by IANSWashington, March 27 (IANS) People living at higher altitudes have a lower chance of dying from a heart disease and tend to live longer than others.
“If living in a lower oxygen environment…helps reduce the risk of dying from heart disease it could help us develop new clinical treatments for those conditions,” said Benjamin Honigman, who led the study.
“Lower oxygen levels turn on certain genes and we think those genes may change the way heart muscles function,” added Honigman, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
He said increased solar radiation at altitude helps the body better synthesize Vitamin D, which has also been shown to have beneficial effects on the heart and some kinds of cancer, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reports.
Honigman, along with researchers from Colorado and Harvard, spent four years analyzing death certificates from every county in the US, according to a Colorado statement.
They examined the cause-of-death, socio-economic factors and other issues in their research.
- Living at high altitude 'cuts risk of dying from heart disease' - Mar 26, 2011
- Red meat passport to death from heart disease - Mar 13, 2012
- Weight loss increases Vitamin D in obese women - May 26, 2011
- Low vitamin C levels elevates heart failure risk - Nov 14, 2011
- Study explores link between hypoxia and inflammation in athletes - Feb 19, 2011
- Drug that stops progression of Parkinson's disease in mice found - Mar 09, 2011
- Garlic oil component protects heart - Nov 17, 2011
- Insufficient vitamin D levels 'up older adults' risk of dying from heart disease' - Sep 22, 2009
- Suicide risk greater for those living at higher altitudes - Jan 14, 2011
- Diet high in B-vitamins 'lowers heart risk' - Apr 16, 2010
- Exercise improves survival in prostate cancer patients - Feb 02, 2012
- Low body fat no protection against heart risk - Jun 27, 2011
- Vitamin D responsible for difference in blood pressure between 'Blacks' and - Apr 27, 2011
- ECG can also predict heart attacks - Apr 11, 2012
- Kids with low vitamin D levels more susceptible to anemia - May 02, 2011
Tags: altitudes, beneficial effects, cause of death, colorado school, death certificates, economic factors, emergency medicine, heart disease, heart muscles, honigman, journal of epidemiology, journal of epidemiology and community health, kinds of cancer, oxygen environment, oxygen levels, school of medicine, solar radiation, university of colorado, university of colorado school of medicine, vitamin d