Some interesting medical information

Every year, new medical research is being conducted to better understand the effects of high altitude on the human body.  An interesting study on the statistics of mortality on Everest was done a few years ago by Paul Firth.  Of course, this is not exactly happy reading, but important for those who are planning to climb this mountain, or spending significant amounts of time at elevations in excess of 20,000 ft (6000 m): 

http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2654.full?sid=113e8c18-275b-4018-a96d-a1b4689cd9f0  

Paul Firth is leading a team of physicians on a new research study this coming season, and has forward a letter to us through IMG.  For those who are interested, the letter is shown below.

A research study of the cognitive effects of extreme altitude on mountaineers

Dear Climber
I am writing to request your assistance in a research project we are carrying out, looking at potential residual changes in thinking processes after ascent to altitudes over 6000m above sea level.  We are a group of medical researchers and doctors in the US and the UK, who are also climbers. Some of our group recently published a study on the circumstances of death of mountaineers on Mount Everest. (Aspects of this study can be accessed for free at the Himalayandatabase.com or in the British Medical Journal, at BMJ.com - search ‘Everest’.) This study discovered that changes in consciousness and co-ordination were common features of climbers that died at extreme altitude. Leakage of fluid from the brain blood vessels (High altitude cerebral edema) is probably a common cause of these symptoms, but we suspect changes in the way the brain functions at extreme altitudes could also play a role. As a follow-up study, we are now aiming to examine whether any residual changes in thinking processes persist once climbers return to low altitude, and if so, for how long.
We would like to interview climbers before they leave, and at roughly one, three and six months after they return from their climb. We aim to administer a series of quizzes and mental tests by telephone at these times. As we appreciate schedules are hectic both before and after expeditions, the tests are short and concise, taking about 30 minutes to complete. We also would like to collect some basic information on prior climbs, and how high climbers reached on their expeditions. We will collect basic medical information, such as whether you experienced any symptoms of high altitude illness, whether you have any chronic medical conditions, and whether you take prescription medications. This information will be stored on password-protected computer databases. We hope to test about 100 climbers climbing peaks over 6000m in the Himalayas, Andes and Alaska.
This letter has been forwarded by the expedition organizer. However, we are a separate research group and are not part of the expedition. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. There is a small risk that the data we collect (your mountain climbing experience, your medical information, your test scores) may be stolen through electronic hacking or by physical theft of computers. Should we detect such a theft, all subjects will be notified of this event immediately.
 Our prior Everest study was completed with the help of many climbers who patiently provided details of many fatalities on the mountain. We hope this published information will lead to greater safety on large mountains this year. Similarly we hope the insights from this study will lead to a better understanding of the mental changes occurring at extreme altitude, with an improvement in future safety.
If you feel you may be able to help out, and would be able to find 30 minutes to complete the tests by telephone before you leave on your expedition, please send us an email for further details. I can be contacted at pfirth@partners.org, or by telephone at +1 (617) 724 2130 (w).
I look forward to hearing from you. Happy and safe climbing!
Best regards
Dr. Paul Firth
Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Ma, USA.
Other research team members:
Dr. Jeremy Windsor, University College London
Dr. Katie Williams, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Dr. Adam Booth, Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
Catherine Crosby, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Stephanie Mackay, Glasgow University
Dr. David Preiss, Boston University
Dr. Jim Jackson, Vanderbilt University, Nashville
Dr. Wes Ely, Vanderbilt University, Nashville
Dr. Tom Bashford, North Middlesex University Hospital, London