title: Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension and its association with respiratory disturbances in obese patients living at moderately high altitude.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the point prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its relationship with respiratory disturbances in obese patients living at moderate altitude.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 57 obese patients comprised the final sample and consisted of 34 women and 23 men, with a mean age of 42.7+/-12.1 ys and a mean body mass index (BMI) 47.1+/-10.6 kg/m(2) (range from 30.1 to 76.1). The mean living altitude was 2248.7 m, range 2100-2400 m above sea level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Doppler echocardiography, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, and polysomnography were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data showed that 96.5% of the studied sample had daytime PH defined as calculated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PSAP) >30 mmHg (mean PSAP=50, s.d.=13 mmHg). The severity of diurnal PH was found to be related to the presence of alveolar hypoventilation and BMI. The main risk factor for severity of diurnal PH was hypoventilation with a significant odds ratio (OR) 7.96, 95% CI 1.35-46.84, BMI was (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.25) and apnea/hypopnea index was not a predictor of pulmonary hypertension severity (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that prevalence of diurnal PH is high in obese patients living at moderate altitude, and that hypoventilation is the main risk factor associated with the severity of pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, México, D.F. valflor@servidor.unam.mx
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valencia-Flores
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rebollar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orea
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Resendiz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castaño
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roblero
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oseguera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Ramos
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bliwise
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000886:Anthropometry; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D007040:Hypoventilation / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications