title: Long-Term Health Outcomes in High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension.
abstract: Robinson, Jeffrey C., Cheryl Abbott, Christina A. Meadows, Robert C. Roach, Benjamin Honigman, and Todd M. Bull. Long-term health outcomes in high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. High Alt Med Biol. 18:61-66, 2017.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) is one of several known comorbidities that effect populations living at high altitude, but there have been no studies looking at long-term health consequences of HAPH. We aimed to determine whether HAPH during adolescence predisposes to significant pulmonary hypertension (PH) later in life, as well as identify how altitude exposure and HAPH correlate with functional class and medical comorbidities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We utilized a previously published cohort of 28 adolescents from Leadville, Colorado, that underwent right heart catheterization at 10,150 ft (3094 m) in 1962, with many demonstrating PH as defined by resting mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥25 mmHg. We located participants of the original study and had living subjects complete demographic and health surveys to assess for the presence of PH and other medical comorbidities, along with current functional status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five percent of the individuals who participated in the original study were located. Those with HAPH in the past were more prone to have exertional limitation corresponding to WHO functional class >1. Fifty-five years following the original study, we found no significant differences in prevalence of medical comorbidities, including PH, among those with and without HAPH in their youth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surveyed individuals did not report significant PH, but those with HAPH in their youth were more likely to report functional limitation. With a significant worldwide population living at moderate and high altitudes, further study of long-term health consequences is warranted.
authors.affiliation: 1 Colorado Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: 1 Colorado Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: 1 Colorado Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.affiliation: 2 Altitude Research Center and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Roach
authors.affiliation: 2 Altitude Research Center and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Honigman
authors.affiliation: 1 Colorado Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine , Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003120:Colorado; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: high-altitude population health; high-altitude pulmonary hypertension; hypoxic pulmonary hypertension