Hypoxia and Medicine

is the blood in the human body thinner or thicker at high altitudes?

Public Comments

1. If you're healthy, it's the same. However, you dehydrate faster at high altitudes, so THAT will thicken your blood.
2. Higher viscosity. Folks who live at high altitudes have more hemogolbin in each red blood cell (hyperchromic) and more red blood cells/volume of blood (larger hematocrit) than those at sea level. Now compared to folks at tropical sea level. Higher ambient temp means less aerobic metabolism needed to maintain body temp.
3. If u go from low altitude to say 9,000 ft ,your body will make an additional pint of blood which raises the blood pressure.
4. I think it will be thicker because of more hemoglobbin in circulation. Also, the blood volume might increase.
5. You will produce more red blood cells at high altitude. This could make your blood a little thicker.