Effect of high altitude on human postprandial 13 C-octanoate metabolism, intermediary metabolites, gastrointestinal peptides, and visceral perception.

Quantification of 13 C-octanoate oxidation by a breath test is sensitive to variation in metabolic (liver) function under hypoxic conditions. 13 C-breath testing using short-chain fatty acids is not reliable for measurement of gastric function at HA and should be considered critically in other severe hypoxic conditions, like sepsis or chronic lung disease.