Mountain sickness debilitates warfighters

Finding an answer to altitude sickness may be a matter of life or death for troops.

Sit-ups, push-ups, wind sprints and mountain hiking. Does that sound like your ideal Spring Break? Well, then the military wants you for research being done to combat altitude sickness. Afghanistan’s high-altitude battlefields have left troops debilitated, and the military is trying to develop a simple blood test to identify soldiers who might be prone to getting sick. The Wall Street Journal reports students who participated in the research were tested for six specific genes at sea level and under physical duress at 9,600 feet. The Pentagon hopes that commanders can better plan personnel and disperse medications for high altitude missions with the information.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Some final thoughts from one of the leading reformers of Congress

    Read more
    Courtesy of: https://www.mfan.org/

    How children of military service members are at war

    Read more