Pole trek study into eye disease

Published on Sat 2 Feb 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7233292.stm

An optometrist has completed a 700-mile journey across Antarctica to reach the South Pole, as part of research on how 24-hour daylight changes the body.

Cameron Hudson, 27, from Cardiff wanted to explore what happens to the body's rhythms when exposed to long periods of daylight.

Skin and saliva samples were taken during the 57-day trek which are being analysed by Swansea University. He hopes the research will provide insight into diseases of the eye.

As well as the skin and saliva samples, Mr Hudson and his fellow travellers wore actigraphy watches on their wrists which monitored their movement while awake and the quality of their sleep.

Mr Hudson said he was particularly interested in how 24-hour exposure to sunlight would affect the levels of melatonin, a hormone which plays a role in controlling daily body rhythms.

Melatonin is produced naturally by the pineal gland in the brain. Research has shown that levels rise at night and fall in the morning.

He carried out the challenge with Sumiyo Tsuzuki, an Everest Summiteer from Japan and an American expedition leader John Huston.

During the trek they faced two weeks of horrendous weather conditions.

"There was zero visibility for 14 days and we had to navigate with a compass," Mr Hudson said.

The team settled into a routine of travelling for 30 hours, stopping for food and breaks and then sleeping for eight hours.

Using cross country skis, they pulled their gear and food in their sleds.

"Mentally, contemplating 60 days on ice was easier from the office, but you have to have a positive mental attitude.

"It was enjoyable and gave me a fresh sense of clarity and direction and I was able to decide on what I wanted to do and achieve. It was a terrific experience," he added.

Mr Hudson raised around £250,000 through his Antarctic adventure for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the International Glaucoma Association and the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

Both he and Mr Huston spent 12 months preparing for the journey which included four weeks polar training in the Arctic.

In addition they spent hundreds of hours pulling tyres to strengthen the muscles needed to pull their sleds across Antarctica.

The team spent nearly two weeks at Punta Arenas in Chile before getting to Patriot Hills at Antarctica.

"It was beautiful arriving at this beautiful vista of mountain and a great way to start the trek," Mr Hudson said.

The team survived on pasta and rice, dehydrated foods and high energy snacks including peanuts and chocolate.

"One of the hardest days of the expedition was Christmas Day, being away from friends and family," Mr Hudson said.

"It was a milestone and a relief to get it over and done with. But we did sneak a present each which was edible and calorific."

The analysis of the research is expected to be completed by April.


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