Women represent approximately 40% of all people partaking in mountain sports globally, yet less than 7% of high-altitude physiological and risk-mitigation studies focus on the female body. Current medical guidelines for preventing and treating high-altitude illnesses are based almost exclusively on data gathered from men.

 

Common effects of high-altitude ascent, which can begin as low as 2,500m (8,000ft), lower than the elevation of destinations like Leadville, Bogotá, and Gulmarg, include headaches, nausea, fatigue, sleeplessness, and impaired cognition. These are symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS). High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) are potentially fatal conditions that can occur at altitude if not recognized and treated promptly.

 

Little is known about how women specifically respond to rapid ascent. Do hormonal cycles influence acclimatization? Do premenopausal and postmenopausal women respond differently? Very few studies have examined women fully adapted to high altitudes, such as Sherpa women, whose physiology may hold important clues to female adaptation to low-oxygen conditions.

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ISHARE will address these questions directly. Our expedition to Putha Hiunchuli (7,246 m) will bring together female investigators from around the world to study the physiological responses of Sherpa women and women not adapted to high altitude, both pre- and post-menopausal, at high altitude.