A team of British military personnel will be using new technology for research into the effects of altitude on the human body as they climb one of the world’s highest mountain peaks.
In what is a military first, the team will carry out the research above 6,000 metres, using implanted technology.
The British Services Dhaulagiri Medical Research Expedition 2016 (BSDMRE), a joint service team, has arrived in Nepal, ready to climb 8,167 metres on the North East ridge of Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest point on earth.
The main team will be involved in two studies that will examine the effect of an iron injection on the body’s response to low oxygen levels and also measure heart rate and rhythm during the climb.
The study involves the use of a Medtronic Reveal device – a two-inch monitor that is implanted under the skin on the chest and stores. The device will upload data of each heart beat during the expedition by satellite link, enabling the team to collect unique data from the heart during exercise at extreme altitude at low oxygen tensions – something that has never previously achieved by a military study.
Expedition leader Surgeon Commander Adrian Mellor said: “Until recently it has only been possible to collect heart rate data at rest due to the size and difficulty of obtaining a clear electrical recording from the heart at extreme altitudes.
“Now that we are able to do this, for the first time we will have accurate and sustained readings that will help us understand what happens to the heart rhythm during times of very low oxygen supply. This and other studies in conjunction with Leeds Beckett and Oxford Universities will help us better prepare soldiers for deployment at high altitude and understand the body’s response to critical illness.”
Mountaineers of all abilities and ranks are taking part in the expedition. Trekking and development teams will explore trekking circuits and the smaller Tukuche Peak, at 6,900 metres, while the main team will attempt the north east ridge of Dhaulagiri. They aim to reach the summit on 20 May.
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