Zusammenfassung
Reisen in größere Höhen sowie Bergsteigen haben eine Vielzahl von Effekten auf den Organismus. Ursächlich stehen bei diesen Effekten an erster Stelle der geringe Luftdruck mit dem damit einhergehenden geringeren Sauerstoffpartialdruck und die sich daraus ableitende Hypoxie des Organismus. Die Hypoxie führt zu einer Vielzahl von physiologischen Veränderungen und Adaptationen des kardiorespiratorischen und des metabolischen Systems. Wenig und fast ausschließlich bei Männern wurde bisher der Effekt der hypobaren Hypoxie auf die Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Endorgan-Hormonachsen untersucht. Die hypobare Hypoxie auf einer Höhe von bis zu etwa 5000 m supprimiert die Hormonachsen nicht oder nur geringfügig. Zudem scheint eine Akklimatisation auf dieser Höhe die marginalen Effekte zu reduzieren. In extremen Höhen über 5000 m kommt es, in Abhängigkeit von der jeweiligen Hormonachse, zu einer Suppression oder Aktivierung. Klinisch und endokrinologisch stehen die Hemmung der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Gonaden-Achse sowie die Aktivierung der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrinden-Achse im Vordergrund. So sind über etwa 5000 Höhenmetern bei Männern die Konzentrationen von luteinisierendem Hormon und Testosteron im Blut erniedrigt, während die Kortisolkonzentration deutlich erhöht ist.
Abstract
Travelling in high altitudes as well as high altitude mountaineering have several effects on the organism. The main cause of these effects is the low air pressure and the low partial pressure of oxygen resulting in hypoxia. Hypoxia leads to several physiological changes and adaptations of the cardiorespiratory and metabolic systems. The effects of hypoxia on the hypothalamus-pituitary-end organ-hormonal axis have so far been poorly studied and almost exclusively in men. Hypobaric hypoxia at an altitude of up to 5000 m seems to have only minor effects on the suppression of the hormonal axes. Furthermore, these effects seem to be compensated during acclimatization. At extreme altitudes above 5000 m either suppression or activation occurs, depending on the hormonal axis. Clinically and endocrinologically suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis and activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis seem to be most relevant. Above altitudes of 5000 m the concentration of luteinizing hormone and testosterone in the blood of males is reduced and cortisol concentrations are markedly increased.
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M. von Wolff und J. Pichler Hefti geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.
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von Wolff, M., Pichler Hefti, J. Das Endokrinium auf bis zu 7000 Höhenmetern. Gynäkologische Endokrinologie 14, 188–196 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10304-016-0077-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10304-016-0077-z