Blood pressure and high altitude: physiological response and clinical management

Abstract

High altitude is an extreme environment that challenges human beings exposed because of work, recreational activities, or habitat. Exposure to hypobaric hypoxia results in physiological adaptations in response to the geography and the associated extreme environmental conditions. These acclimatization responses can be diverse and result from evolutionary changes and comorbidities. In this context, this review aims to identify the available evidence on the effects of high altitude on blood pressure—from the physiological to clinical aspects at rest and during exercise—and the underlying mechanisms and possible clinical implications of acute and chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Keywords

• blood pressure
• altitude
• hypertension
• hypoxia