Migration of the elderly from high altitudes in Colorado
J. G. Regensteiner and L. G. Moore
The reason for the reported decline in the proportion of elderly (greater
than 60 years) persons at high (greater than 2,456 m) compared with low
altitude (less than 1,376 m) in Colorado was unknown. We hypothesized that
adverse effects of high altitude on the elderly, particularly those with
heart and lung diseases, prompted their migration to lower elevations.
Colorado census data indicated that selective out-migration occurred from
high to low altitude among the elderly. Interviews (n = 833) in high- and
low-altitude Colorado towns revealed that the elderly were unique in that
they moved down for reasons of poor health and that for the majority (81%)
ill health meant heart and lung diseases. Elderly migrants from high
altitude reported heart and lung diseases more frequently than those
remaining and cited improvement in symptoms at low altitude. We suggest
that symptoms of heart and lung disease are exacerbated with advancing age
at high altitude and influence choice of residence.
