BMJ  2004;329:171 (17 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7458.171-b

Letter

Ginkgo biloba and acetazolamide for acute mountain sickness

Exclusion of high risk, low status groups perpetuates discrimination and inequalities

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Gertsch et al report the results of a randomised controlled trial of ginkgo biloba and acetazolamide for acute mountain sickness in trekkers in the Everest region of Nepal.¹ However, it is not clear why entry to the study was restricted to non-Nepali trekkers. Many Nepalis working in the trekking industry in the Everest region are not stereotypical. Sherpas who have lived their whole life at altitude and are at similar, if not greater, risk of acute mountain sickness as Western trekkers (see www.portersprogress.org). Although including Nepalis at risk of acute mountain sickness in the study would have entailed some additional logistical arrangements, these should not be beyond the abilities of a large, international research team.

Studies such as this, which exclude high risk, low status groups for no obvious reason, perpetuate discrimination and inequalities. Evidence is required on how to prevent acute mountain sickness in all groups, . . . [Full text of this article]

School of Population and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH j.m.adams@ncl.ac.uk

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Relevant Article

Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled comparison of ginkgo biloba and acetazolamide for prevention of acute mountain sickness among Himalayan trekkers: the prevention of high altitude illness trial (PHAIT)

Jeffrey H Gertsch, Buddha Basnyat, E William Johnson, Janet Onopa, and Peter S Holck
BMJ 2004 328: 797. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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