title: Systemic vascular dysfunction in patients with chronic mountain sickness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a major public health problem characterized by exaggerated hypoxemia and erythrocytosis. In more advanced stages, patients with CMS often present with functional and structural changes of the pulmonary circulation, but there is little information on the systemic circulation. In patients with diseases associated with chronic hypoxemia at low altitude, systemic vascular function is altered. We hypothesized that patients with CMS have systemic vascular dysfunction that may predispose them to increased systemic cardiovascular morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test this hypothesis, we assessed systemic endothelial function (by flow-mediated dilation [FMD]), arterial stiffness, and carotid intima-media thickness and arterial oxygen saturation (Sao(2)) in 23 patients with CMS without additional classic cardiovascular risk factors and 27 age-matched healthy mountain dwellers born and permanently living at 3,600 m. For some analyses, subjects were classified according to baseline Sao(2) quartiles; FMD of the highest quartile subgroup (Sao(2) ≥ 90%) was used as a reference value for post hoc comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with CMS had marked systemic vascular dysfunction as evidenced by impaired FMD (CMS, 4.6% ± 1.2%; control subjects, 7.6% ± 1.9%; P < .0001), greater pulse wave velocity (10.6 ± 2.1 m/s vs 8.4 ± 1.0 m/s, P < .001), and greater carotid intima-media thickness (690 ± 120 μm vs 570 ± 110 μm, P = .001). A positive relationship existed between Sao(2) and FMD (r = 0.62, P < .0001). Oxygen inhalation improved (P < .001) but did not normalize FMD in patients with CMS, although it normalized FMD in hypoxemic control subjects (Sao(2) < 90%) and had no detectable effect in normoxemic control subjects (Sao(2) ≥ 90%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with CMS show marked systemic vascular dysfunction. Structural and functional alterations contribute to this problem that may predispose these patients to premature cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01182792; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Cardiovascular Center Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Internal Medicine and Botnar Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefano F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Rimoldi
authors.affiliation: Swiss Cardiovascular Center Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Internal Medicine and Botnar Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emrush
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rexhaj
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pratali
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Health, Science and Sport, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Wales.
authors.forename: Damian M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Swiss Cardiovascular Center Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Faita
authors.affiliation: Instituto Bolivano de Biologia de Altura, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salinas Salmòn
authors.affiliation: Instituto Bolivano de Biologia de Altura, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villena
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Botnar Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicod
authors.affiliation: Swiss Cardiovascular Center Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Allemann
authors.affiliation: Swiss Cardiovascular Center Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Botnar Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: claudio.sartori@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sartori
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*