Treatment of High Altitude Polycythemia by Acetazolamide
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00424970 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : January 22, 2007
Last Update Posted : January 24, 2013
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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High Altitude Polycythemia | Drug: acetazolamide | Phase 4 |
Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is characterized by an excessive number of red cells in the blood of persons living permanently above the altitude of 2,500m. The symptoms of this very incapacitating disease are : headaches, chronic asthenia, digestive troubles, sleep disturbances. The hemoglobin concentration is higher than 21 g/dl of blood. In addition, patients show a pulmonary hypertension of variable degree, as well as a systemic hypertension.
This disease affects essentially males, but women are also concerned after menopause. The evolution of the disease is always very dramatic, towards a cardiac failure and cerebral vascular stroke. The prevalence is between 8% and 15% on the Andean Altiplano . No pharmacological treatment is available.
A preliminary study was performed (Richalet et al. AJRCCM, 2005) that demonstrated the efficiency of acetazolamide (a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor) in reducing the hematocrit and the erythropoetin concentration,and increasing nocturnal oxygen saturation in patients suffering from CMS, after 3 weeks of treatment.
We plan to perform a double-blinded placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficiency of a 3-month treatment with daily 250 mg acetazolamide to reduce the hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations and ameliorate the clinical symptoms of 55 patients suffering from CMS and living at high altitude (Cerro de Pasco, Peru).
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 55 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Hypoventilation and High Altitude Chronic Polycythemia: Acetazolamide as a Possible Treatment |
Study Start Date : | January 2007 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | November 2007 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Placebo Comparator: acetazolamide
acetazolamide 250mg /day oral administration, for 6 months
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Drug: acetazolamide |
- Hemoglobin concentration [ Time Frame: monthly ]
- Hematocrit [ Time Frame: monthly ]
- Systolic pulmonary arterial pressure [ Time Frame: before and after 3 months of treatment ]
- Pulmonary vascular resistance [ Time Frame: before and after 3 months of treatment ]
- Arterial oxygen saturation at rest [ Time Frame: monthly ]
- Clinical score of Chronic Mountain Sickness [ Time Frame: monthly ]
- Quality of lofe score [ Time Frame: monthly ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- patients with Chronic mountain sickness and Hb > 21g/dl
Exclusion Criteria:
- patients smokers
- patients with respiratory or cardiovascular or renal disease

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00424970
Peru | |
University Cayetano Heredia | |
Lima, Peru, 100 |
Principal Investigator: | Jean-Paul Richalet, MD, PHD | ARPE, University Paris 13 | |
Study Director: | Fabiola Leon-Velarde, PHD | University Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00424970 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
APCA06 Legs Poix 999 |
First Posted: | January 22, 2007 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 24, 2013 |
Last Verified: | January 2013 |
high altitude hypoxia pulmonary hypertension polycythemia hypoventilation |
Altitude Sickness Hypoventilation Polycythemia Hematologic Diseases Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Insufficiency Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory |
Acetazolamide Anticonvulsants Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Diuretics Natriuretic Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs |