title: Inhaled budesonide prevents acute mountain sickness in young Chinese men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral glucocorticoids can prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS). Whether inhaled budesonide (BUD) can prevent AMS remains unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of BUD in AMS prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty subjects were randomly assigned to receive budesonide (BUD, inhaled), procaterol tablet (PT), budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FM, inhaled), or placebo tablet (n = 20 in each group). Subjects were treated for 3 days before ascending from 500 m to 3700 m within 2.5 h by air. Lake Louis AMS questionnaire, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were examined at 20, 72, and 120 h after high-altitude exposure. Pulmonary function was measured at 20 h after exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with placebo, BUD significantly reduced the incidence of AMS (70% vs. 25% at 20 h, p < 0.05; both 10% vs. 5% at 72 and 120 h, both p > 0.05) without side effects. The relative risk was 0.357, and the risk difference was 0.45. Mean SpO2 was higher in BUD, BUD/FM, and PT groups than in the placebo group at 20 h (p < 0.05). SpO2 in all 80 subjects dropped after ascent (98.1% to 88.12%, p < 0.01) and increased gradually, but it was still lower at 120 h than at baseline (92.04% vs. 98.1%, p < 0.01). Pulmonary function did not differ among the four groups at 20 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BUD can prevent AMS without side effects. The alleviation of AMS may be related to increased blood oxygen levels rather than pulmonary function.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Zhu
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cadre Wards, Kunming General Hospital, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Hang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Respiratory Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Dong
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yun
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002681:China; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019819:Budesonide
keywords: acute mountain sickness; altitude sickness; budesonide; hypoxia; inhaled; prevention