Editorial on “Characteristics and risk profiles of patients with pulmonary arterial or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension living permanently at >2500 m of high altitude in Ecuador”
Samantha Sharma, Naresh Singh
https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.12428
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex cardiovascular disorder characterized by elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure >20 mmHg at rest.1 PH is classified into five groups based on etiology, each with unique underlying causes and pathophysiological mechanisms: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), PH due to left heart disease, PH due to lung disease or hypoxia, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and PH with unclear multifactorial mechanisms.1 The global prevalence of PH is estimated to be around 1%, with the majority of cases classified as PH associated with left heart or chronic lung disease while the prevalence of PAH and CTEPH is considerably lower, estimated at approximately 100 per million population.2 While the prevalence of PH is estimated to be similar worldwide, there are limited data on the characteristics and outcomes of PH patients living at high altitudes. Hypobaric hypoxia at high-altitude imposes several genetic and physiological changes that help individuals living at various altitudes to maintain adequate oxygenation and function in the face of chronic hypoxia.3 However, the chronic hypoxic environment may exacerbate the occurrence and management of pulmonary vascular diseases (PVD).4