Comparative study of serum insulin, glucose, growth hormone and cortisol of students at 794.7 mm Hg (Dead Sea level) and 697.5 mm Hg (Amman) barometric pressures.

Serum insulin, glucose, growth hormone and cortisol levels were measured in high school students living at Dead Sea level (390 m below sea level) and Amman (766 m above sea level) with 794.7 mm Hg and 697.5 mm Hg barometric pressures, respectively. A total of 54 and 50 healthy male subjects of age 17-19 years, having almost identical economic and nutritional status were studied. We found that serum insulin and growth hormone levels were significantly higher; whereas serum glucose and cortisol levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.05) for subjects at Dead Sea level than those at Amman.