The multinational Andean genetic and health program: II. Disease and disability among the Aymara

The subject of altitude-related disease and disability in high Andes towns and villages has interested the medical community for many years; but aside from information on risks associated with particular age or occupational group, data on this subject has been rather limited. To help fill the gap, a number of academic and government institutions in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and the United States have been collaborating on a broad research effort known as the Multinational Andean Genetic and Health Program. This article reports results of that program stemming from medical examination of 2,096 highland and coastal residents of the Chilean Department of Arica.