Upright posture increases oxyhemoglobin saturation in Peruvian highlanders

We examined associations of BMI, age, sex and spirometry with postural SpO2 changes with mixed-effects linear regression.In highlanders, SpO2 was 84% in the supine posture and was 1.0% ± 1.1 (p < 0.0001) greater in the upright-seated posture. Greater postural changes in SpO2 were associated with older age (p = 0.01 for interaction) but not with sex, BMI, FVC or FEV1.In highlanders, SpO2 is higher in the upright-seated compared to supine posture, especially with older age. Because we generally sleep flat, posture may contribute significantly to highlanders’ hypoxemic burden during sleep. Postural intervention during sleep may mitigate nocturnal hypoxemia.
Source: Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research