研究发现，在高海拔地区长大可能降低慢性疾病的风险

研究发现，在高海拔地区长大可能降低慢性疾病的风险

Living near the Tibetan Plateau, often referred to as "The Roof of the World," may have more benefits than scenic pleasure.

居住在青藏高原附近，通常被称为“世界屋脊”，可能比风景带来更多的好处。

A new study has found that humans native to high-altitude areas may have a lower risk for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes-associated anemia -- and the reason why may have to do with the way their bodies have adapted to living with less oxygen.

一项新的研究发现，生活在高海拔地区的人患高血压和糖尿病相关贫血等慢性病的风险较低，这可能与他们的身体适应低氧生活的方式有关。

The research, which published Thursday in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, found that the Mosuo people who live near the Tibetan Plateau and people who live in other place in Central have very different chronic disease risk, possibly due to genetic adaptations to prevent hypoxia.

这项研究星期四发表在《美国体质人类学杂志》上，发现居住在青藏高原附近的摩梭人和居住在其他地方的人患慢性病的风险有很大的不同，这可能是因为他们为了防止缺氧而进行的基因适应。

Researchers thought these genetic adaptations might also reduce the Mosuos' risk for other chronic conditions, such ashypertension and diabetes-associated anemia.

研究人员认为，这些基因适应可能还会降低摩梭人患其他慢性病的风险，比如高血压和糖尿病相关的贫血。

After studying the Mosuo, a Tibetan-descended population living in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwest China at an elevation of about 8.530 feet, the researchers learned they were right. Despite lifestyle factors that would ordinarily increase a person's risk for such conditions,the Mosuo had a lower risk for hypertension and diabetes-associated anemia than low-altitude Han populations.

在研究了居住在海拔8530英尺的中国西南横断山区的藏族后裔摩梭人之后，研究人员发现他们是对的。尽管生活方式因素通常会增加一个人患这种疾病的风险，摩梭人患高血压和糖尿病相关贫血的风险比低海拔的汉族人群低。

"Human biological variation matters for our chronic disease risk. And studying that intersection of genetic adaptations and chronic disease risk is really pretty important for people generally, not just for the Mosuo."

“人类的生物变异关系到我们患慢性疾病的风险。研究基因适应和慢性疾病风险的交叉点对一般人来说非常重要，不仅仅是摩梭人。”

People have been living on the Tibetan Plateau at altitudes of up to approximately 17.700 feet for thousands of years, the report said, and their characteristics seem to be what mitigate hypoxic stress.

报告说，数千年来，人们一直生活在海拔高达17700英尺的青藏高原上，他们的特征似乎是减轻缺氧压力的原因。

Whereas travelers to high altitudes experience about a 10% to 20% drop in oxygen uptake -- which is the rate at which oxygen can be used by the body during maximal work -- Tibetans show no deficit. That's because their bodies naturally dilate their blood vessels in a process called vasodilation to compensate for the reduced oxygen content. This raises their blood supply and lowers their blood pressure to enhance oxygen delivery in their arteries.

然而，到高海拔地区旅行的人的耗氧量大约下降了10%到20%——这是身体在最大限度工作时能利用氧气的速度——藏族人没有表现出任何缺陷。这是因为他们的身体在一个叫做血管舒张的过程中自然扩张血管，以补偿氧气含量的减少。这会增加他们的血液供应，降低他们的血压，以增强他们动脉中的氧气输送。

These characteristics are likely to lower hypertension, the study said, as hypertension may be caused by underproduction of vasodilators that help blood flow, and thickening arteries.

研究称，这些特征可能降低高血压，因为高血压可能是由帮助血液流动的血管扩张剂生产不足和动脉增厚引起的。

Tibetan populations also have an adaptation called blunted erythropoiesis, or blunted red blood cell production. When our bodies undergo hypoxic stress, a mechanism in the kidneys signals an excessive amount of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to tissues, making really thick blood.

藏族人口也有一种适应，叫做红细胞生成迟钝，或红细胞生产迟钝。当我们的身体承受缺氧压力时，肾脏中的一种机制发出信号：过量的红细胞向组织输送氧气，使血液变得非常粘稠。

In people with diabetes, this natural process could be harmful. Because of malfunctioning kidneys, they have an impaired sensitivity to hypoxia, which impedes their ability to correct anemia, the deficiency of red blood cells. But the Mosuos' adaptation switches off that specific kidney function, which could protect them from this outcome.

对于糖尿病患者来说，这一自然过程可能是有害的。由于肾功能不全，他们对缺氧的敏感性受损，这就阻碍了他们纠正贫血、红细胞缺乏的能力。但摩梭人的适应能力关闭了特定的肾功能，这可以保护他们免受这种结果的影响。

According to previous studies, many Mosuo communities are undergoing a rapid process of economic integration associated primarily with increasing tourism in the Yunnan province, changing their diets, physical activity and social structure.

根据以往的研究，许多摩梭人(居住的)社区正在经历一个快速的经济一体化进程，主要与云南省旅游业的增长、饮食、体育活动和社会结构的变化有关。