New research published in the journal Anaesthesia suggests that simulated high altitude training could help older patients prepare for surgery and reduce their risk of complications.
The randomized crossover study included eight sedentary volunteers with an average age of 64 years. The volunteers spent a week with either normal oxygen exposure or with reduced oxygen exposure in a residential hypoxia facility. Hypoxic facilities, usually rooms or tents, can be found in many gyms or sports facilities. Their lower oxygen levels are meant to simulate high altitude and can help mountaineers prepare for expeditions. Altitude training is known to improve fitness and raise hemoglobin levels in the blood, both of which tend to improve outcomes in surgery. The goal of this study was to see whether simulated altitude exposure could help older adults prepare for surgery.
The results showed that the participants had no major changes in their cardiorespiratory fitness after a week of simulated altitude training. However, the participants showed a significant increase in blood hemoglobin levels after the simulated training. This change in hemoglobin levels could be beneficial before surgery since it allows more oxygen to be carried throughout the body and therefore improves performance in low altitude environments.
Many patients who are going into surgery have low levels of fitness, high body mass indexes, and sedentary lifestyles, which can cause complications and even death during surgery. Simulated altitude training could counter some of these issues and improve patient outcomes. The authors of the study suggest that using home-based hypoxic tents, similar to the ones athletes use to simulate altitude exposure, could be used prior to surgeries to improve outcomes. However, more research is needed to confirm the benefits of hypoxic training before implementing home-based interventions.
Sources: Anaesthesia, Science Daily
