Altitude, migration, and fertility in the Andes

Abelson, Andrew; Baker, Thelma S.; Baker, P. T.

doi:10.1080/19485565.1974.9988086

Cited by 44 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…For those living at higher altitudes for many generations, hypoxia at high altitude has little effect on their reproductive status and pregnancy status. This might be attributed to genetic adaption to high altitude (Abelson et al, 1974;Moore, 2001; Huerta-Sánchez FIG. 2.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Exposure to Hypoxia at High Altitude (5380 m) for 1 Year Induces Reversible Effects on Semen Quality and Serum Reproductive Hormone Levels in Young Male Adults

Cui²,

Wang

et al. 2015

High Altitude Medicine & Biology

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This study investigated the effect of hypoxia at high altitude on the semen quality and the serum reproductive hormone levels in male adults. A total of 52 male soldiers were enrolled in this cohort study. They were exposed to hypoxia at high altitude (5380 m) for 12 months when undergoing a service. After exposure, they were followed up for 6 months. The samples of semen and peripheral blood were collected at 1 month before exposure (M0), 6 months of exposure (M6), 12 months of exposure (M12), and 6 months after exposure (M18). The semen quality was assessed with computer-assisted analysis system, and the serum levels of reproductive hormones, including prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone were analyzed by ELISA. Compared with those at M0, total sperm count, sperm density, motility, survival rate, and serum levels of LH, PRL and testosterone were significantly decreased, whereas the liquefaction time was significantly prolonged and serum FSH level was significantly increased at M6 (p<0.05). At M12, total sperm count and sperm density increased, whereas sperm motility, survival rate, and the liquefaction time further decreased. Sperm velocities, progression ratios, and lateral head displacements were also decreased. Serum FSH level decreased while serum LH, PRL, and testosterone levels increased. Compared with those at M6, the changes in these detected parameters of semen and hormone at M12 were significant (p<0.05). At M18, all these detected parameters except testosterone level returned to levels comparable to those before exposure. In conclusion, hypoxia at high altitude causes adverse effects on semen quality and reproductive hormones, and these effects are reversible.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Exposure to Hypoxia at High Altitude (5380 m) for 1 Year Induces Reversible Effects on Semen Quality and Serum Reproductive Hormone Levels in Young Male Adults

Cui²,

Wang

et al. 2015

High Altitude Medicine & Biology

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“…A complete migrant study design was used to partition the chest morphology and pulmonary function phenotype difference between Andean HANs and European/ North American LANs into developmental and/or ancestral (genetic) components according to an approach first described by Harrison (1966), and later modified by Abelson (1974) and Haas (1980). Analysis of adaptive difference between groups based on this approach depends upon the proper designation of individuals into defined study groups, and on the ability to control for non-adaptive (confounding) variability between groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of developmental and ancestral high altitude exposure on chest morphology and pulmonary function in Andean and European/North American natives

et al. 1999

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Chest depth, chest width, forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) were measured in 170 adult males differing by ancestral (genetic) and developmental exposure to high altitude (HA). A complete migrant study design was used to study HA natives (Aymara/Quechua ancestry, n = 88) and low altitude (LA) natives (European/North American ancestry, n = 82) at both altitude (La Paz, Bolivia, 3,600 m) and near sea level (Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 420 m). HAN and LAN migrant groups were classified as: Nth generation migrants, born and raised in a non‐native environment; child migrants who migrated during the period of growth and maturation (0–18 yrs); and adult migrants who migrated after 18 years of age. Chest depth, FVC, and FEV1 measures were larger with increasing developmental exposure in both HAN migrants at LA and LAN migrants at HA. Developmental responses were similar between HAN and LAN groups. FVC and FEV1 measures were larger in HANs vs LANs born and raised at HA to suggest a genetic effect, but were similar in HANs and LANs born and raised at LA. The similarity of HAN and LAN groups at LA suggests that the genetic potential for larger lung volumes at HA depends upon developmental exposure to HA. Additional data for females (HANs at HA, n = 20, and LAN adult migrants to HA, n = 17) show similar differences as those shown between male HAN and LAN groups. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:383–395, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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“…Subsequently, a number of investigators have analyzed census data from several Andean countries and have reported altitude-related fertility differentials. Information on fertility is also available from demographic studies of several Andean communities: Cruz-Coke and his colleagues (Cruz-Coke et al, 1966;CruzCoke, 1967) have studied five Aymara communities in an environmental gradient from high to low altitude in northern Chile; Baker and his coworkers (Hoff, 1968;Baker and Dutt, 1972;Way, 1972) have made detailed studies of the fertility of women residing in a highland community in southern Peru; and Abelson et al (1974) have examined the fertility of highland natives who have migrated to a low altitude valley located on the southern Peruvian coast. These studies generally support the concept of a smaller completed family size among highland natives as compared to lowland natives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Highland women have fewer offspring due to the direct effect of hypoxic stress upon the reproductive system reducing fecundity, i.e., reproductive potential (James, 1966;Abelson et al, 1974;Baker and Dutt, 1972).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Altitude and fertility: The confounding effect of childhood mortality—a Bolivian example

Dutt

1980

Social Biology

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Demographic studies undertaken in several Andean countries have found that women residing at high altitudes have significantly fewer live births than do their low altitude counterparts. This reduction has been explained as being due to various factors: the debilitating effects of hypoxia upon the reproductive system; the effects of sociocultural factors which vary with altitude and which affect reproductive behavior; and errors in data collection. In order to examine the validity of some of these hypotheses, the fertility of a group of 906 Bolivian women residing at low, medium, and high altitudes was examined. The women were selected from the lower socioeconomic strata and reported never having used any method of contraception. A detailed analysis of the fertility of these women showed no significant altitude-related differences in the number of live births. However, as a result of significantly higher childhood mortality rates at altitude, there was a significant reduction in numbers of living children. The results of this study suggest that the collection and analysis of census data that ignores socioeconomic differences within a population or differences among census units in neonatal or early childhood mortality may bias or complicate the study of the impact of altitude on human fertility. Although the present research does not prove that hypoxic stress does not affect the reproductive system, the results suggest that if altitude does reduce fecundity, the reduction is not great and is likely to be shown only through studies of reproductive physiology.During the past two decades researchers analyzing census data from several Andean countries have reported that women residing at altitudes over 3,000 meters have significantly fewer offspring than do women living at sea level. These findings have been supported by the results of several detailed demographic studies of specific Andean communities. A variety of hypotheses have been put forward to explain these fertility differentials. As there is evidence that the hypoxic stress associated with altitude affects various aspects of reproductive physiology (Clegg and Harrison, 1971;Clegg, 1978), some researchers have suggested that the lower fertility found among highland women is a direct effect of residing at altitude. However, there are also data indicating that infant mortality is increased at altitude, and 101 it has been suggested that the relatively crude estimates of fertility available from census data do not take into account the mortality differences. Other researchers feel that the fertility differentials are related to sociocultural factors which vary with altitude.It is the purpose of the present study to investigate further the relationship between altitude and human fertility by analyzing the fertility of a large sample of Bolivian women. In particular, the effects of sociocultural variation and differential early childhood mortality are examined.

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Altitude, migration, and fertility in the Andes

Cited by 44 publications

References 19 publications

Exposure to Hypoxia at High Altitude (5380 m) for 1 Year Induces Reversible Effects on Semen Quality and Serum Reproductive Hormone Levels in Young Male Adults

Exposure to Hypoxia at High Altitude (5380 m) for 1 Year Induces Reversible Effects on Semen Quality and Serum Reproductive Hormone Levels in Young Male Adults

Effect of developmental and ancestral high altitude exposure on chest morphology and pulmonary function in Andean and European/North American natives

Altitude and fertility: The confounding effect of childhood mortality—a Bolivian example

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