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Millions of people worldwide live at high altitude, being chronically exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor but data on its prevalence and determinants in highlanders are limited, and systematic studies with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are not available. Aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of clinic and ambulatory hypertension and the associated factors in a sample of Andean highlanders. Hypertension prevalence and phenotypes were assessed with office and ambulatory blood pressure measurement in a sample of adults living in Cerro de Pasco, Peru (altitude 4340 m). Basic clinical data, blood oxygen saturation, hematocrit, and Qinghai Chronic Mountain Sickness score were obtained. Participants were classified according to the presence of excessive erythrocytosis and chronic mountain sickness diagnosis. Data of 289 participants (143 women, 146 men, mean age 38.3 years) were analyzed. Office hypertension was present in 20 (7%) participants, while ambulatory hypertension was found in 58 (20%) participants. Masked hypertension was common (15%), and white coat hypertension was rare (2%). Among participants with ambulatory hypertension, the most prevalent phenotypes included isolated nocturnal hypertension, isolated diastolic hypertension, and systodiastolic hypertension. Ambulatory hypertension was associated with male gender, age, overweight/obesity, 24-hour heart rate, and excessive erythrocytosis. Prevalence of hypertension among Andean highlanders may be significantly underestimated when based on conventional blood pressure measurements, due to the high prevalence of masked hypertension. In highlanders, ambulatory hypertension may be independently associated with excessive erythrocytosis.

Excessive erythrocytosis (EE; hemoglobin concentration [Hb] ≥21 g/dL in adult males) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in highlander Andeans. We sought to quantify shear stress and assess endothelial function via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in male Andeans with and without EE. We hypothesized that FMD would be impaired in Andeans with EE after accounting for shear stress and that FMD would improve after isovolemic hemodilution. Brachial artery shear stress and FMD were assessed in 23 male Andeans without EE (age: 40±15 years [mean±SD]; Hb<21 g/dL) and 19 male Andeans with EE (age: 43±14 years; Hb≥21 g/dL) in Cerro de Pasco, Peru (4330 m). Shear stress was quantified from Duplex ultrasound measures of shear rate and blood viscosity. In a subset of participants (n=8), FMD was performed before and after isovolemic hemodilution with blood volume replaced by an equal volume of human serum albumin. Blood viscosity and Hb were 48% and 23% higher (both P<0.001) and FMD was 28% lower after adjusting for the shear stress stimulus ( P=0.013) in Andeans with EE compared to those without. FMD was inversely correlated with blood viscosity ( r 2 =0.303; P<0.001) and Hb ( r 2 =0.230; P=0.001). Isovolemic hemodilution decreased blood viscosity by 30±10% and Hb by 14±5% (both P<0.001) and improved shear stress stimulus-adjusted FMD from 2.7±1.9% to 4.3±1.9% ( P=0.022). Hyperviscosity, high Hb, or both, actively contribute to acutely reversible impairments in FMD in EE, suggesting that this plays a pathogenic role in the increased cardiovascular risk.

Unlabelled: Blood pressure increases during acute exposure to high altitude in healthy humans. However, little is known on altitude effects in hypertensive subjects or on the treatment efficacy in this condition. Objectives of High Altitude Cardiovascular Research (HIGHCARE)-Andes Lowlanders Study were to investigate the effects of acute high-altitude exposure on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive subjects and to assess antihypertensive treatment efficacy in this setting. One hundred untreated subjects with mild hypertension (screening blood pressure, 144.1±9.8 mm Hg systolic, 92.0±7.5 mm Hg diastolic) were randomized to double-blind placebo or to telmisartan 80 mg+modified release nifedipine 30 mg combination. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed off-treatment, after 6 weeks of treatment at sea level, on treatment during acute exposure to high altitude (3260 m) and immediately after return to sea level. Eighty-nine patients completed the study (age, 56.4±17.6 years; 52 men/37 women; body mass index, 28.2±3.5 kg/m(2)). Twenty-four-hour systolic blood pressure increased at high altitude in both groups (placebo, 11.0±9 mm Hg; P<0.001 and active treatment, 8.1±10.4 mm Hg; P<0.001). Active treatment reduced 24-hour systolic blood pressure both at sea level and at high altitude (147.9±11.1 versus 132.6±12.4 mm Hg for placebo versus treated; P<0.001; 95% confidence interval of the difference 10.9-19.9 mm Hg) and was well tolerated. Similar results were obtained for diastolic, for daytime blood pressure, and for nighttime blood pressure. Treatment was well tolerated in all conditions. Our study demonstrates that (1) 24-hour blood pressure increases significantly during acute high-altitude exposure in hypertensive subjects and (2) treatment with angiotensin receptor blocker-calcium channel blocker combination is effective and safe in this condition., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01830530., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)