For the average person, living at high altitude – where oxygen is sparser than at sea level – can have health benefits ranging from lower rates of heart disease to increased endurance. But for those born with inherited mitochondrial diseases, who rarely survive past childhood, low-oxygen air like that found at mountain peaks could be life-saving, potentially extending their lifespan and eliminating their symptoms.
Daily drug captures health benefits of high-altitude, low-oxygen living
For the average person, living at high altitude – where oxygen is sparser than at sea level – can have health benefits ranging from lower rates of heart disease to increased endurance. But for those born with inherited mitochondrial diseases, who rarely survive past childhood, low-oxygen air like that found at mountain peaks could be life-saving, potentially extending their lifespan and eliminating their symptoms.
