title: [Arterial hypertension due to altitude].
abstract: The behavior of blood pressure under hypoxic conditions depends on individual factors, altitude and duration of stay at altitude. While most humans are normotensive at higher altitudes, a few will react with moderate hypertension or hypotension. Excessive elevation of arterial blood pressure is not even to be expected below 4,000 m. Rather, several weeks' stay at higher altitude will decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest as well as during physical exertion. A high-altitude treatment for rehabilitation purposes at moderate altitude may be recommended for patients with cardio-circulatory disorders. Improvements can last several months even after returning to accustomed altitudes. Furthermore, endurance-trained hypertensive patients with pharmacologically controlled arterial blood pressure might be able to participate in mountain treks without additional health risk.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Osterreich. wolfgang.domej@meduni-graz.at
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Domej
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Miggitsch
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krakher
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riedlbauer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roher
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwaberger
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009051:Mountaineering; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents