Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Antioxidant Treatment in Patients with Acute Mountain Sickness Induced by High Altitude Exposure

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of antioxidant treatments on Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) induced by high-altitude exposure. The study included 19 studies in the qualitative synthesis and 4 trials in the quantitative analysis. Results showed a non-significant trend towards reduced AMS incidence with antioxidant treatment (RR ≈ 0.73; 95% CI: 0.47–1.11; p = 0.14), with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 52%). Although all studies favored antioxidants, the evidence was not statistically significant, and conclusions are limited by the small number of trials, small sample sizes, and methodological variability. Larger, well-designed trials are needed to determine the clinical efficacy of antioxidant therapy for AMS.