Recently scientists have been trying to isolate the cultural and genetic factors behind the ability to adapt and to survive extremes of altitude and cold, of which Tibetans have a legendary reputation conditioned by the extreme environment of the Tibetan plateau and they have discovered a gene which improves oxygen saturation in hemoglobin.
Tibetan children who grow faster than other children up to the age of five presumably do so as a defense against heat loss since larger bodies have a more favorable surface to volume ratio.
Recently scientists have been trying to isolate the cultural and genetic factors behind the ability to adapt and to survive extremes of altitude and cold, of which Tibetans have a legendary reputation conditioned by the extreme environment of the Tibetan plateau and they have discovered a gene which improves oxygen saturation in hemoglobin.
is studying the Stone Age colonization of the plateau, hoping to gain insight into human adaptability in general and the cultural strategies the Tibetans developed as they learned to survive in this harsh environment.
A new study from Greece is pursuing a similar train of thought with not dis-similar findings. The findings are reported in the <<>>.
People who live in mountain areas live longer than those living in lowland areas, according to research from Greece, which has the lowest death rate from heart disease of any developed country.
A study started in 1981, which tracked the cardiovascular health and death rates of 1150 inhabitants of three villages not far from Athens, collected information on risk factors, including gender, age, weight, smoking habit, blood pressure, and alcohol consumption. They used the data taken over 15 years to build up a profile of the biochemical health of the villagers; blood samples were also taken.