Scientists head for the world's biggest living laboratory

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic are set to join an expedition to Everest to test the natural implications of extreme altitude on healthy, active individuals in order to mimic aspects of heart disease.

Laboratories around the world get bigger by the year, but not one can claim to be even a scratch on Everest's 29,029 feet. The world's tallest mountain offers perfect laboratory space for researchers looking to explore heart disease, as the high altitude simulates heart effects naturally.

And that is not all they will test for. Sleep physiology will also be examined, with researchers studying sleep quality issues caused by a lack of oxygen and other sleep hindrances caused by the high altitude.

The group are set to make the ascent next year to mark 60 years since the first explorer reached the summit of Everest. Previous studies have set the ground for new research, linking high altitudes to rapid weight loss caused by muscle wasting. This is a common problem in heart disease, which prompted the researchers to hypothesise that weight loss could be due to severe lack of oxygen, particularly at night.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths