Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2014) 271:2583–2586 DOI 10.1007/s00405-014-3170-8
Short Communication
The effect of high altitude on nasal nitric oxide levels Aytug Altundag · Murat Salihoglu · Melih Cayonu · Cemal Cingi · Hakan Tekeli · Thomas Hummel
Received: 8 June 2014 / Accepted: 17 June 2014 / Published online: 28 June 2014 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate whether nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels change in relation to high altitude in a natural setting where the weather conditions were favorable. The present study included 41 healthy volunteers without a history of acute rhinosinusitis within 3 weeks and nasal polyposis. The study group consisted of 31 males (76 %) and 10 females (24 %) and the mean age of the study population was 38 ± 10 years. The volunteers encamped for 2 days in a mountain village at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level (masl) and proceeded to highlands at an altitude of 2,200 masl throughout the day. The measurements of nNO were done randomly, either first at the mountain village or at sea level. Each participant had nNO values both at sea level and at high altitude at the end A. Altundag (*) Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Surgery Hospital, Ferah Sok. No: 22 S¸is¸li, Istanbul 34365, Turkey e-mail: [email protected] M. Salihoglu Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gulhane Military Medicine Academy Haydarpas¸a Training Hospital, Istanbul 34668, Turkey M. Cayonu Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Amasya University S.S. Training and Research Hospital, Amasya 05100, Turkey C. Cingi Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey H. Tekeli Department of Neurology, Gulhane Military Medicine Academy Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul 34668, Turkey T. Hummel Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
of the study. The nNO values of sea level and high altitude were compared to investigate the effect of high altitude on nNO levels. The mean of average nNO measurements at the high altitude was 74.2 ± 41 parts-per-billion (ppb) and the mean of the measurements at sea level was 93.4 ± 45 ppb. The change in nNO depending on the altitude level was statistically significant (p
Short Communication
The effect of high altitude on nasal nitric oxide levels Aytug Altundag · Murat Salihoglu · Melih Cayonu · Cemal Cingi · Hakan Tekeli · Thomas Hummel
Received: 8 June 2014 / Accepted: 17 June 2014 / Published online: 28 June 2014 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate whether nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels change in relation to high altitude in a natural setting where the weather conditions were favorable. The present study included 41 healthy volunteers without a history of acute rhinosinusitis within 3 weeks and nasal polyposis. The study group consisted of 31 males (76 %) and 10 females (24 %) and the mean age of the study population was 38 ± 10 years. The volunteers encamped for 2 days in a mountain village at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level (masl) and proceeded to highlands at an altitude of 2,200 masl throughout the day. The measurements of nNO were done randomly, either first at the mountain village or at sea level. Each participant had nNO values both at sea level and at high altitude at the end A. Altundag (*) Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Surgery Hospital, Ferah Sok. No: 22 S¸is¸li, Istanbul 34365, Turkey e-mail: [email protected] M. Salihoglu Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gulhane Military Medicine Academy Haydarpas¸a Training Hospital, Istanbul 34668, Turkey M. Cayonu Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Amasya University S.S. Training and Research Hospital, Amasya 05100, Turkey C. Cingi Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey H. Tekeli Department of Neurology, Gulhane Military Medicine Academy Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul 34668, Turkey T. Hummel Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
of the study. The nNO values of sea level and high altitude were compared to investigate the effect of high altitude on nNO levels. The mean of average nNO measurements at the high altitude was 74.2 ± 41 parts-per-billion (ppb) and the mean of the measurements at sea level was 93.4 ± 45 ppb. The change in nNO depending on the altitude level was statistically significant (p
