{"title":"A Retrospective Analysis of Altitude Illness at the Himalayan Rescue Association Aid Post Manang (2018-2023).","authors":"Suraj Shrestha, Sanjeev Kharel, Suman Acharya, Gobi Basyal, Sanjeeb S Bhandari","doi":"10.1177/15578682251376256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682251376256","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Shrestha, Suraj, Sanjeev Kharel, Suman Acharya, Gobi Basyal, and Sanjeeb S. Bhandari. A Retrospective Analysis of Altitude Illness at the Himalayan Rescue Association Aid Post Manang (2018-2023). <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 00:00-00, 2025. <b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) in Nepal has been operating high-altitude aid posts in the Himalayas to alleviate illnesses in hikers and locals with a focus on acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), as well as other common medical problems. This study examines the altitude-related illnesses occurring between 2018 and 2023 at the HRA Manang aid post. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> A retrospective study analyzing the medical records of HRA Manang from 2018 to 2023 was conducted. Demographics and diagnoses were documented, and the Lake Louise Score (LLS) was calculated for AMS cases. The frequency of altitude-related illness was compared among trekkers with/without a good ascent profile. <b><i>Results:</i></b> During the study period, a total of 2,904 people visited the aid post, with 337 (11.6%) suffering from altitude-related illnesses, including 274 AMS, 40 HAPE, 11 HACE, and 12 concurrent HAPE with HACE, with 58.8% of cases seen in the fall season. Most were adults, non-Nepali (70.3%), of which only 4.5% comprised the pediatric population. The majority of AMS cases were mild (70.6%) (LLS ≤5), while 17.2% had moderate to severe AMS. Almost one-third (28.2%) of cases had rapid ascent (elevation >500/day above 2,500 m), with a majority of 67.4% being Nepali compared to non-Nepali (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The proportion of HACE and concurrent HAPE with HACE was significantly higher among those with rapid ascent profiles. About 36.20% of cases with altitude-related illness had taken prophylactic acetazolamide, which was considerably lower among Nepali patients (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Motor vehicle evacuation (86.7%), followed by helicopter evacuation (13.3%), was used for those requiring immediate descent. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Altitude illness is a common problem among trekkers in the Annapurna region of Nepal. More effort should be focused on educating high-altitude travelers to reduce the risk of these problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144992332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
William Cornwell, Aaron L Baggish, Christoph Dehnert, Benjamin D Levine, Andrew M Luks
{"title":"Clinical Conundrum: Climbing at the Extremes of High Elevation with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.","authors":"William Cornwell, Aaron L Baggish, Christoph Dehnert, Benjamin D Levine, Andrew M Luks","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0143","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cornwell, William, Aaron L. Baggish, Christoph Dehnert, Benjamin D. Levine, and Andrew M. Luks. Clinical conundrum: climbing at the extremes of high elevation with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:237-241, 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"237-241"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142947815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Javier Brazo-Sayavera, Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, Talita Morais Fernandes, Jamille Guedes Malta Argolo, Ana Paula Morais Fernandes, Carlos Arterio Sorgi, Elisângela Aparecida da Silva Lizzi, Átila Alexandre Trapé
{"title":"Effects of Moderate-Intensity Cyclic Normobaric Hypoxic Training on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors of Patients Recovered from COVID-19: The AEROBICOVID Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Javier Brazo-Sayavera, Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, Talita Morais Fernandes, Jamille Guedes Malta Argolo, Ana Paula Morais Fernandes, Carlos Arterio Sorgi, Elisângela Aparecida da Silva Lizzi, Átila Alexandre Trapé","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0125","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brazo-Sayavera, Javier, Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, Talita Morais Fernandes, Jamille Guedes Malta Argolo, Ana Paula Morais Fernandes, Carlos Arterio Sorgi, Elisângela Aparecida da Silva Lizzi, and Átila Alexandre Trapé. Effects of moderate-intensity cyclic normobaric hypoxic training on cardiovascular disease risk factors of patients recovered from COVID-19: The AEROBICOVID randomized controlled trial. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:265-272, 2025. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The aim was to analyze the effects of a training program under hypoxic conditions compared with a control and normoxia training program on cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients recovered from COVID-19. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 67 patients were randomly assigned to the control group, training and recovery with hypoxia (T<sub>H</sub>:R<sub>H</sub>), training in normoxia (T<sub>N</sub>) and recovery with hypoxia (R<sub>H</sub>), and T<sub>N</sub> and recovery in normoxia (R<sub>N</sub>). Anthropometric, body composition, respiratory, and cardiometabolic risk factors were analyzed before and after intervention. <b><i>Results:</i></b> All intervention groups had positive effects on various health outcomes in patients recovered from COVID-19. The reduction in waist, hip, and waist/hip ratio, glycaemia, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol indicates improvements in cardiovascular health. The increase in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second suggests improvements in respiratory health. In addition, the decrease in cardiovascular disease risk score indicates a reduction in overall cardiovascular disease risk. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The study provides evidence to support the clinical benefits of moderate-intensity intermittent hypoxic training as a part of the treatment of patients recovered from COVID-19. It may also provide evidence on the efficacy and safety of intermittent hypoxic training in different health conditions. The study was registered at the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (RBR-5d7hkv).</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"265-272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143390606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thibaud Pirlot, Thibaud Mihailovic, Philippe Gimenez, Grégoire P Millet, Franck Brocherie, Eric Fruchart, Gilles Ravier, Bertrand Baron, Romain Bouzigon, Sandrine Guirronnet, Emmanuel Brunet, Alain Groslambert
{"title":"Psychological, Sleep, and Heart Rate Variability Responses During Early- and Middle-Term Acclimatization of \"Living High-Training Low and High\".","authors":"Thibaud Pirlot, Thibaud Mihailovic, Philippe Gimenez, Grégoire P Millet, Franck Brocherie, Eric Fruchart, Gilles Ravier, Bertrand Baron, Romain Bouzigon, Sandrine Guirronnet, Emmanuel Brunet, Alain Groslambert","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0118","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pirlot, Thibaud, Thibaud Mihailovic, Philippe Gimenez, Grégoire P. Millet, Franck Brocherie, Eric Fruchart, Gilles Ravier, Bertrand Baron, Romain Bouzigon, Sandrine Guirronnet, Emmanuel Brunet, and Alain Groslambert. Psychological, sleep, and heart rate variability responses during early- and middle-term acclimatization of \"Living High-Training Low and High\". <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:291-300, 2025. <b><i>Background:</i></b> This study investigated the relationships between psychological responses, sleep, and heart rate variability (HRV) before and during a \"living high-training low and high\" (LHTLH) camp. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Ten elite female cyclists (mean ± SD, age = 17.3 ± 1.2 years, VO<sub>2</sub>max = 54.9 ± 6.9 ml·min/kg) were monitored for 19 days divided into three periods: (1) normoxia (5 days preceding LHTLH), (2) early acclimatization period (days 1-4 of LHTLH), and (3) middle acclimatization period (days 5-14 of LHTLH) in normobaric hypoxic chambers set at a simulated altitude of 2,800 m. During the intervention, their training load (TL), sleep disturbance, psychological (stress, activation state, and perseverance) and physiological responses (sleep architecture, nocturnal peripheral oxygen saturation [SpO<sub>2</sub>], and HRV) were monitored. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In normoxia, no significant correlations were observed between TL and any psychological and physiological responses. However, in the early acclimatization period, significant correlations were found between sleep disturbance and SpO<sub>2</sub> (<i>r</i> = -0.83, <i>p</i> < 0.005) and between achieving objectives and HRV (<i>r</i> = -0.91, <i>p</i> < 0.005). In the middle acclimatization period, significant correlations were found between the feeling during training and SpO<sub>2</sub> (<i>r</i> = 0.83; <i>p</i> < 0.005). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This indicates that LHTLH exacerbates the psychophysiological interactions during the early acclimatization period that disappear during the middle acclimatization period while others appear.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"291-300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144158234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phenothiazine Confers Neuroprotection via Dpp2/7 in High Altitude Traumatic Brain Injury Mouse Model.","authors":"Wenxin Zhang, Yuting Yang, Jing Guo, Fei Hu, Yuan Ma, Qing Ouyang","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0096","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zhang, Wenxin, Yuting Yang, Jing Guo, Fei Hu, Yuan Ma, and Qing Ouyang. Phenothiazine confers neuroprotection via Dpp2/7 in high altitude traumatic brain injury mouse model. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:256-264, 2025. <b><i>Background:</i></b> Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in high altitude areas can lead to more severe cerebral edema, higher disability, and mortality than in low altitude areas. This study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of phenothiazine on TBI at high altitudes. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Mice were kept in a hypobaric chamber for 7 days under simulated conditions of 5,000 m above sea level. A controlled cortical impact (CCI) model was established and followed by phenothiazine (chlorpromazine and promethazine) and Dpp2/7 inhibitor UAMC00039 treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot, label-free quantitative proteomics, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were performed to assess the effects of phenothiazine and UAMC00039 on TBI. <b><i>Results:</i></b> HE staining confirmed that phenothiazine treatment could ameliorate CCI-induced brain injury. IHC, western blot, and RT-qPCR showed that cell apoptosis was alleviated by phenothiazine after high altitude TBI, as proved by the reduction of cleaved-Caspase-3 and increased Bcl-2 expression. Label-free quantitative proteomics, IHC, and western blot showed that phenothiazine significantly upregulated Dpp2/7 after high altitude TBI. Western blot and IHC showed that UAMC00039 treatment significantly reversed phenothiazine-mediated Bcl-2 upregulation and cleaved-Caspase-3 downregulation after high altitude TBI. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The results indicated that phenothiazine offers neuroprotective effects via antiapoptosis after high altitude TBI, and this protective mechanism is associated with Dpp2/7-mediated Bcl-2 expression and Caspase-3 cleaving.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"256-264"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natalie Van Ochten, Eric W Rudofker, William K Cornwell
{"title":"Altitude Adversities: Is It Safe for People with Cardiovascular Disease to Travel to Moderate-High Altitude?","authors":"Natalie Van Ochten, Eric W Rudofker, William K Cornwell","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0097","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Van Ochten, Natalie, Eric W. Rudofker, and William K. Cornwell. Altitude adversities: is it safe for people with cardiovascular disease to travel to moderate-high altitude? <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:328-334, 2025.-The risk of acute cardiac events increases following acute exposure to hypoxia associated with travel to moderate-high altitudes. Herein, we present seven illustrative cases among lowlanders who presented to our center (1,609 m, equivalent fraction of inspired oxygen [F<sub>I</sub>O<sub>2</sub>] ∼0.17) with acute cardiac emergencies during travel to moderate-high altitude. We also provide a concise, yet comprehensive, review of the relevant physiology pertaining to the impact of acute hypoxia on cardiovascular physiology and mechanisms by which altitude exposure may increase the risk of adverse events.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"328-334"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143566801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pharmacokinetics of Midazolam in Plasma and Brain Tissue of Rats after Exposure to Acute and Chronic High Altitude Hypoxia.","authors":"Lu Tian, Guiqin Liu, Qin Zhao, Junjun Han, Yue Lin, Qian Wang, Qiangqiang Jia, Delong Duo, Duan Yabin, Zhu Junbo, Li Xiangyang","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0141","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tian, Lu, Guiqin Liu, Qin Zhao, Junjun Han, Yue Lin, Qian Wang, Qiangqiang Jia, Delong Duo, Duan Yabin, Zhu Junbo, and Li Xiangyang. Pharmacokinetics of midazolam in plasma and brain tissue of rats after exposure to acute and chronic high altitude hypoxia. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:273-282, 2025. <i><b>Background:</b></i> Midazolam effectively improves sleep quality under high altitude hypoxia by reducing central nervous system excitability. <i><b>Methods:</b></i> Field modeling and sample collection were performed at an altitude of 4,300 m in a high altitude hypoxic environment with a pressure of inspired oxygen of 107 mmHg. Pharmacokinetic alterations of midazolam in high altitude hypoxic rats are determined by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to confirm the connection with drug metabolism and alterations in hypoxia <i>CYP3A4</i> and P-glycoprotein (<i>P-gp</i>) expression. <i><b>Results:</b></i> This study demonstrated that high altitude hypoxia increased blood-brain barrier permeability in rats, caused brain tissue damage, and altered the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the brain. In the acute high altitude group and the chronic high altitude group, the area under the curve and T<sub>max</sub> of plasma midazolam revealed substantial increases of 88.6% and 283% and 28.6% and 85.3%, respectively. The clearance rate reduced by 47.3% and 90.0%, while the brain-blood drug concentration ratio (C<sub>brain</sub>/C<sub>plasma</sub>) diminished by 11.4% and 82.1%, respectively. The relative expression of <i>CYP3A1</i> mRNA in the brain tissue of high altitude rats decreased by 42.4% and 66.8%, respectively, and the protein expression was downregulated, while the relative expression of <i>P-gp</i> mRNA increased by 61.3% and 91.2%, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.05 for all parameters), and the protein expression was upregulated. High altitude hypoxia altered <i>CYP3A1</i> and <i>P-gp</i> expression and activity, causing alterations in midazolam metabolism. <i><b>Conclusions:</b></i> This research provided a new reference for the rational use of midazolam in highland areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"273-282"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Serdar Epçaçan, Emrah Şişli, Yasemin Nuran Dönmez, Şeyma Memur
{"title":"The Course of Ductus Arteriosus from the Neonatal Period to Childhood in a Moderate Altitude Region.","authors":"Serdar Epçaçan, Emrah Şişli, Yasemin Nuran Dönmez, Şeyma Memur","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0132","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epçaçan, Serdar, Emrah Şişli, Yasemin Nuran Dönmez, and Şeyma Memur. The course of ductus arteriosus from the neonatal period to childhood in a moderate altitude region. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:283-290, 2025. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> The aim of the study is to evaluate the course of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in a moderate altitude region. <b><i>Study Design:</i></b> This is a retrospectively designed cross-sectional study analyzing the neonates diagnosed with PDA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Demographic and clinical data and echocardiographic, interventional, and surgical files of the subjects and follow-up findings were analyzed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Overall, the mean gestational age and weight at delivery for all 711 patients were 35.7 ± 3.1 weeks (24-44 weeks) and 2712 ± 762 g (570-4,900 g). In total, 330 patients were premature. Medical closure was applied in 95/597 patients and was successful in 40 of 95 patients. The spontaneous closure rate within 2.3 ± 2.8 months (4 days-2.1 years) was 616/711 (86.6%). Overall, only 8 patients necessitated surgical PDA closure and 38 patients for transcatheter closure. Gestational age and delivery weight had a considerable influence on spontaneous closure. The duration of spontaneous PDA closure was negatively correlated with the gestational age and gestational weight. The duration of spontaneous PDA closure was higher in patients with prematurity and hypothyroidism. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The spontaneous closure of the duct may be prolonged in moderate and high-altitude areas. Transcatheter or surgical interventions are rarely needed in the early neonatal period.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"283-290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"<i>Letter:</i> Solastalgia and Serendipity-at Altitude and in Academia.","authors":"Grégoire P Millet","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0133","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0133","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"335-336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142619106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Medical Problems of Chronic Hypoxia in Highlanders Living on the Tibetan Plateau.","authors":"Ri-Li Ge","doi":"10.1089/ham.2024.0107","DOIUrl":"10.1089/ham.2024.0107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ge, Ri-Li. Medical problems of chronic hypoxia in highlanders living on the tibetan plateau. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 26:308-317, 2025.-Health issues at high altitudes arise due to the lower atmospheric pressure and subsequent reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen in ambient air. While much research has been published on health problems of lowlanders who move to high altitudes, less is known about the medical challenges faced by long-term and permanent high-altitude residents, especially in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. In this review, we briefly summarized the chronic hypoxia-related health issues in highlanders, focusing on the specific population of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. It deals with important health problems for highlanders, including the main disease categories, from chronic mountain sicknesses and pulmonary hypertension (PH) to kidney, neurocognitive impairments, perinatal problems, and congenital heart defect. However, the most hallmark of disorders is excessive erythrocytosis associated with specific symptoms and signs, and high-altitude heart disease is characterized by excessive PH, right ventricular hypertrophy, and right heart failure. We also provide information on potential treatment strategies, including some traditional Tibetan medical practices and also a combination of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine to prevent and treat these conditions effectively. This mini-review is heavily based on a couple of decades of research carried out by Chinese high-altitude medical research groups at the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We believe that this review will provide valuable perspective to researchers whose study interest and base lie in high altitude.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"308-317"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143004506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}