Altitude and heart problems?
 

Obviously I will check with my husband's cardiologist but thought I would see if anyone here has any knowledge regarding potential problems of going to high altitudes if you have cardiac problems. My husband had a stent put in his heart last May and it just occured to me - duh - that I should find out if going to high altitude will be a problem for him. Going to Switzerland in May and would revise plans accordingly.

Unless you ski, you might not be able to go that high anyway. There might still be a lot of snow around in May. If your husband can go to Denver, he can go to Switzerland.

Check with your doctor--it depends on your husband's particular condition. The higher you go, the less oxygen, the harder the heart and caridovascular sytem have to work.

My husband had a stent put in June and we are going to Switzerland next August. My husband works out pretty hard 3 days a week so I never thought of it. I'm glad you brought this up. I'm going to have him check with his doctor. We do plan to do some easy hiking around Murren.

What's stent?

A stent is a tube inserted in a vessel in the heart.

As everyone else suggested, please check with your cardiologist and internist, as a doctor can be the only one responsible for allowing or not allowing him to go. Everyone situation is different and there are other factors that need to be considered.

As I said initially, we will definitely be checking with the cardiologist prior to the trip. We will definitely be taking the trip to Switzerland; just may have to modify plans if the doctor says avoid high altitudes.

I live in Colorado and we see reports of altitude-related illnesses quite often. Unfortunately, reports of fatalities are not unheard of. The greatest risk is during the first two or three days when the body has not acclimatized (i.e., blood chemistry has not adapted to a low-oxygen environment) and the cardiac output must increase to compensate. I would be very surpised if your husband's cardiologist advised you not to visit Switzerland, but he might restrict your activities, especially those immediately after you arrive.

Another (sometimes fatal) high-altitude health threat we see in Colorado are edema-related problems. At high altitudes, body fluids (blood, etc.) seep through membranes that otherwise are impermeable. The result can be strokes and congestive heart failure, and they can affect individuals that are otherwise quite healthy. The best protection against pulmonary and cerebral edemas are to recognize the signs, and get to a hospital (or at least lower altitudes) if they appear to be developing.

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Also remember that planes are only pressurized to the equivalent of 5000-8000 feet above sea level, the same as being in Denver and above.