Tibetans adapt to low altitude : CCMB study

Hyderabad: Tibetans living in the plains in Bylakuppe Karnataka have adapted to the conditions of the plains according to a study by CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

They are the oldest high-altitude inhabitants and their body adjusts to the low-oxygen conditions. In the high altitude there is more hemoglobin concentration in their blood.

Those who migrated to the plains 50 years ago to Karnataka were studied and the study found that their hemoglobin levels are normal like those living in the plains.

The study found that the blood parameters when compared to those living in high altitude is different.

Dr K Thangaraj the lead investigator of the study and director of DBT-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics says, "The blood parameters of those living in plains has adjusted to the local environment. As there is a lot of oxygen in the environment their hemoglobin concentration has normalized. These studies help us understand adaptation of people who migrate to different environments from a molecular point of view."

The work was carried out in CCMB in collaboration with researchers from Ladakh and Karnataka.

The study is published in the Journal of Blood Medicine.