![]() ![]() When most of us climb, a hormone in our bodies called erythropoietin (EPO) triggers the production of more red blood cells, which can then carry more oxygen to our muscles. So how do the Sherpas do it? Over thousands of years, the bodies of high-altitude dwellers have developed ways to make the most of oxygen, Murray says. Pregnant women also suffer higher rates of miscarriage and other complications because of higher blood pressure at altitude - which illustrates the potential for evolution to favor genes that help mountain people cope with oxygen deprivation. Both conditions can quickly become deadly. Severe cases of mountain sickness can cause swelling in the brain, a condition called High Altitude Cerebral Edema, or fluid in the lungs, called High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. People from low altitudes who travel or move to higher elevations face multiple risks: with access to limited oxygen above 8,000 feet or so, symptoms often include headaches, low appetite and trouble sleeping. But life at such high altitudes remains inhospitable for most of us. The Sherpas and other ethnic groups have lived on the high plateau of the Himalayas at an average altitude of more than 14,700 feet going back at least 6,000 years. The study adds to evidence that their genes play a role. "There's certainly something really remarkable about their ability." "You don't need to spend very long in that part of world to see that the people living there, particularly the Sherpas, perform extremely well at altitude - a lot better than we do," says Andrew Murray, a physiologist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and one of the study's authors. They may be better at harnessing oxygen than the rest of us, suggests a new study, which also offers insights that could eventually help ordinary people whose tissues become deprived of oxygen because of medical conditions. What makes Sherpas so good at climbing into the wispy atmosphere of the world's tallest mountains? Goats and Soda How Does A Nepalese Porter Carry So Much Weight? ![]()
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