Living In The Hills Lowers Lung Cancer Risk

People who live at higher altitudes are less likely to suffer from lung cancer than those who live in the plains, according to a new research.

As lower pressure at higher elevations results in less inhaled oxygen, this new study suggests that oxygen in the atmosphere may play a role in lung cancer. While researchers found lower rates of lung cancer at higher elevations, the same trend did not extend to non-respiratory cancers, suggesting that carcinogen exposure occurs via inhalation.

“While essential to human life, aspects of oxygen metabolism may promote cancer,” the study noted.

“Viewing our findings through the lens of the literature, atmospheric oxygen emerges as the most probable culprit,” said Kamen Simeonov from Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.