Changes in Creatine Kinase, High-sensitivity troponin T, ST2, NT-proBNP and Bioimpedance Mesurements in Trekkers and Professional Alpinist at Everest 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 35 million people go above 3,000m every year for various reasons, which makes it necessary to have a better understanding of the physiological reactions due to altitude. Furthermore, the number of climbers who go above the 3,000m has been growing worldwide, and in the last two decades the number of successful Everest summits has doubled [1]–[3]. This study quantifies the myocardial and skeletal cell injury caused by climbing mount Everest and the conditions and biomarkers that must be analysed before attempting it. Therefore, the physiological measurements of resistance and reactance of whole body measurements will be analysed, as well as biochemical concentrations of muscular enzymes, electrolytes and cardiac biomarkers. The aim of this study is to determine which biomarkers must be analysed before attempting the summit as well as to understand how the body behaves while ascending to extreme altitude and how that changes with race. This information could be useful to athletes who exercise at high altitude, travellers or to the scientific community in general. After the statistical analysis of marathon data before the Everest ascension it was seen that the biomarkers that must be analysed are the following: concentrations of muscular enzymes (CK), electrolytes (Mg, K) and cardiac biomarkers (Hs-cTnT, ST2, NT-proBNP). The Everest measurements of bioimpedance have stated that there is a clear physiological change between basal measurements at 0m and the measurements at base camp, 5364m. However there doesn’t seem to be a clear change after reaching camp C4, 8000m, from base camp and back or between alpinist nor Sherpas, even if the latter ones seem to fare better than alpinists