High altitude medicine & biology最新文献

{"title":"Physiological Responses to Acute Hypobaric and Normobaric Hypoxia: Differences in Maximal Exercise and Clinical Impact.","authors":"Giovanni Ferrarini, Mattia Canevari, Valeria Azzini, Piergiuseppe Agostoni, Beatrice Pezzuto, Carlo Vignati","doi":"10.1177/15578682261442067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682261442067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ferrarini, Giovanni, Mattia Canevari, Valeria Azzini, Piergiuseppe Agostoni, Beatrice Pezzuto, and Carlo Vignati. Physiological responses to acute hypobaric and normobaric hypoxia: Differences in maximal exercise and clinical impact. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 00:00-00, 2026.-Hypoxia, defined by inspired partial pressure of oxygen (PiO₂) <150 mmHg, has been extensively studied in conditions of both reduced barometric pressure (hypobaric hypoxia, HH) and reduced inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO₂) at sea level (normobaric hypoxia, NH). Traditionally considered interchangeable, mounting evidence indicates that HH and NH elicit distinct cardiovascular, ventilatory, and gas-exchange responses during physical effort, likely due to factors beyond PiO₂, including air density, alveolar gas composition, exercise modality, and the age and sex of the individual performing the effort. A thorough understanding of how different hypoxic modalities affect exercise responses provides fundamental insights into human physiology and pathophysiology under extreme conditions, with practical implications for sports medicine and athletic training, as well as for patients with pathologies potentially influenced by hypoxia dealing with high altitude. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the differential effects of HH and NH on exercise responses, with an emphasis on maximal exercise capacity and underlying the physiological mechanisms regarding cardiovascular function, ventilatory adaptation, and gas-exchange responses, also outlining the implications for athletes, clinical populations (heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension), and altitude medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"15578682261442067"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147689799","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> The Anticoagulation Dilemma in Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Chronic Mountain Sickness.","authors":"Yue Dong, Zhihao Zou, Qinghai Shi","doi":"10.1177/15578682261442843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682261442843","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"15578682261442843"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645065","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":"Slow Symptom Resolution of Acute Altitude Illness Upon Rapid Descent.","authors":"Adam D Hill","doi":"10.1177/15578682261441527","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682261441527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hill, Adam D. Slow symptom resolution of acute altitude illness upon rapid descent. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 00:00-00, 2026.-Acute mountain sickness (AMS) effects roughly one-quarter to more than three-quarters of persons travelling to elevations greater than 2,500 m. Treatment relies primarily on descent or a stoppage of further ascent (with or without pharmacologic therapy) to allow for acclimatization. In the latter approach, acclimatization as heralded by improvement of symptoms can take anywhere from 12 hours to 4 days. The timeline for symptom resolution when descent takes place, however, is not clearly defined. A case is presented of a hiker who suffered from persistent symptoms of AMS for nearly 24 hours despite descending rapidly to sea level.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"15578682261441527"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147632233","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":"Heart Rate Variability in Adults from Low- and High-Altitude Origins Residing in a High-Altitude City: A Cross-Sectional Comparison.","authors":"Esteban Ramírez, C Alejandro Luzardo, Daniel F Namen, Juan D Rivera, Lina Pérez, Daniela Mora, Nicolás Moncada, Santiago Lopez, Jaime Guiza","doi":"10.1177/15578682261438763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682261438763","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ramírez, Esteban, C Alejandro Luzardo, Daniel F Namen, Juan D Rivera, Lina Pérez, Daniela Mora, Nicolás Moncada, Santiago Lopez, and Jaime Guiza. Heart rate variability in adults from low- and high-altitude origins residing in a high-altitude city: A cross-sectional comparison. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 00:00-00, 2026.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Heart rate variability (HRV) is used to assess autonomic regulation, reflecting autonomic nervous system activity through heartbeat interval analysis. HRV can be evaluated using time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear methods. Although acute high-altitude exposure has been studied, the effects of chronic exposure remain less well understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study compared HRV in adults from altitudes ≥2,500 m (group 1) and <1,500 m (group 2), with both groups residing in Bogotá, Colombia (2,600 m) for more than 6 months. HRV was assessed using time domain, frequency domain, and nonlinear metrics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants from low-altitude regions (group 2) exhibited higher resting heart rates (<i>p</i> = 0.002) and lower time domains (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals, root mean square of successive differences, number of pairs of successive normal-to-normal intervals differing by more than 50 ms, percentage of NN50 [%]; <i>p</i> < 0.05), frequency domain (total power, high-frequency power; <i>p</i> ≤ 0.004), and nonlinear measures (triangular interpolation of the NN interval histogram, standard deviation of instantaneous beat-to-beat variability, short-term fractal scaling exponent; <i>p</i> < 0.05) than those from high-altitude regions. These results indicate a lower HRV in individuals from low-altitude regions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adults raised at low altitudes showed lower HRV when living in Bogotá compared with those raised at high altitudes, suggesting an association with long-term autonomic differences potentially related to early-life altitude exposure, rather than a direct causal effect of chronic hypoxia during childhood. These findings may have physiological and clinical implications, particularly in countries with diverse geography. Further prospective, longitudinal research is needed to confirm these associations and clarify their cardiovascular relevance and the potential contribution of genetic and environmental factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"15578682261438763"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147581388","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":"Effects of Chronic High-Altitude Hypoxia on Attention Networks and Cardiovascular Regulation in Indigenous High-Altitude Primary School Students.","authors":"Weigang Gong, Xintong Chen, Xuan Lyu, Xiang Li, Xinyi Wang, Xiaoyu Chen, Chun Zheng, Chao Fu","doi":"10.1177/15578682261434918","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15578682261434918","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study examined the effects of chronic high-altitude hypoxic exposure on attention networks in indigenous primary school students, integrating cardiovascular indices to explore underlying physiological mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Three real-world altitude groups were established: low (2,200 m), mid (3,200 m), and high (4,200 m). Cardiovascular function was assessed via systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. Attentional performance was evaluated using the Attention Network Test (ANT), which provides measures of alerting, orienting, and executive control efficiency.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cardiovascular indices followed a nonlinear pattern across altitudes, with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate being significantly higher at mid-altitude compared to both low and high altitudes. In contrast, attention performance exhibited an opposite trend: alerting and executive control efficiency were relatively reduced at mid-altitude but were comparable between the low- and high-altitude groups. Orienting efficiency did not differ significantly across the three altitude groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings reveal a dissociation between physiological regulation and cognitive performance under chronic hypoxia. To explain these results, we propose a U-shaped model of cardiovascular adaptation, where mid-altitude represents an incomplete compensatory state, while prolonged exposure at higher altitudes leads to stabilized cardiovascular function and preserved attentional performance. This integrative framework underscores the crucial role of physiological adaptation in shaping cognitive outcomes in high-altitude environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"15578682261434918"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147498685","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":"Risk Determinants of Acute Mountain Sickness in Trekkers in the Nepali Himalaya: A 36-Year Follow-Up.","authors":"Hannah Cameron, Marion McDevitt, Bengt Kayser, Craig Kutz, Suvash Dawadi, Alana Hawley","doi":"10.1177/15578682251382432","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15578682251382432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cameron, Hannah, Marion McDevitt, Bengt Kayser, Craig Kutz, Suvash Dawadi, and Alana Hawley. Risk determinants of acute mountain sickness in trekkers in the Nepali Himalaya: a 36-year follow-up. High Alt Med Biol. 27:17-22, 2026.</p><p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Non-acclimatized trekkers risk developing acute mountain sickness (AMS) at high altitudes. We surveyed trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal (peak 5,416 m) to assess AMS incidence and risk factors. Results were compared to 1986, 1998, and 2010 surveys.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Paper and electronic surveys were distributed to English-speaking trekkers who stopped at the Manang Aid Post (3,500 m). AMS was assessed with the Lake Louise Score (LLS; cutoffs ≥3 and ≥5) and the Environmental Symptom Questionnaire AMS-C score (cutoff ≥0.7).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred and forty-three surveys were returned. Incidence of AMS was 45%, 29%, and 19% (LLS ≥3, LLS ≥5, and AMS-C). AMS incidence was similar to that in 2010 and lower than in 1986 and 1998. In this study, body mass index (BMI) was a significant risk factor for AMS. Seventy-five percent of trekkers had elementary awareness of AMS, compared to 42% in 2010. Trekkers had slower ascent rates and 49% used prophylactic acetazolamide, compared to 44% (2010), 12% (1998), and 1% (1986).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>BMI was a predictor of AMS. Awareness of AMS was greater when compared to past studies; however, AMS rates stayed relatively stable between 2010 and the present. Whether awareness reduces the incidence of other potentially lethal altitude illnesses requires further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"17-22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145137233","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":"Pharmacological Prophylaxis and Supplemental Oxygen for Unacclimatized Rescuers at Very High Altitude: Scoping Review and 2025 Joint Recommendations of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine and the International Society for Mountain Medicine.","authors":"Kyle McLaughlin, Steve Roy, Marika Falla, Giacomo Strapazzon, Andrew M Luks, Ken Zafren, Hermann Brugger, Martin Musi, Iztok Tomazin, John Ellerton, Ghan Bahadur Thapa, Peter Paal","doi":"10.1177/15578682251365931","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15578682251365931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>McLaughlin, Kyle, Steve Roy, Marika Falla, Giacomo Strapazzon, Andrew M. Luks, Ken Zafren, Hermann Brugger, Martin Musi, Iztok Tomazin, John Ellerton, Ghan Bahadur Thapa, and Peter Paal. Pharmacological prophylaxis and supplemental oxygen for unacclimatized rescuers at very high altitude: scoping review and 2025 joint recommendations of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine and the International Society for Mountain Medicine. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 27:60-77, 2026.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Mountain rescuers and pilots rapidly ascending to altitudes above 3,500 m are exposed to the detrimental effects of hypobaric hypoxia, including cognitive and physical impairment, as well as high-altitude illness (HAI). We conducted a scoping review of oxygen supplementation and pharmacologic measures to improve cognitive and physical performance and prevent HAI in unacclimatized rescuers rapidly ascending above 3,500 m during rescue missions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 723 articles were screened, 133 reviewed and a total of 50 articles were included for data extraction, based on the intervention: 6 on oxygen, 29 on acetazolamide (AZ), 17 on dexamethasone (DEX), 3 on nifedipine, and 5 on phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Supplemental oxygen improves physical and cognitive performance at high altitude and is recommended for rapid ascent rescues >30 minutes between 3,500 and 4,000 m, and for rescues of any duration above 4,000 m. If oxygen is administered, pharmacological prophylaxis is not required. If oxygen is unavailable, AZ or DEX can be used for rapid ascent rescues above 3,500 m for longer than 3 hours to reduce the incidence and severity of acute mountain sickness. At altitudes above 5,000 m or for rescues requiring prolonged physical work, the use of both AZ and DEX is recommended.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>To enhance the safety and effectiveness of high-altitude rescues, we provide recommendations for the use of supplemental oxygen and pharmacologic prophylaxis to reduce the risk of HAI and improve cognitive and physical performance during rapid ascents to altitudes >3,500 m.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"60-77"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144951568","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":"Intraoperative Opioid-Free Anesthesia with Dexmedetomidine and Esketamine Versus Conventional General Anesthesia in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy at 3,600 m: A Randomized Trial on Hemodynamic Stability and Postoperative Recovery.","authors":"Ke Tu, Lei Tian, Qi Zhu, Kailian Bai, Lin Li, Mengmei Fu, Mengxia Wang, Lei Zhang, Zhuo Zhan, Haoxi Li, Xiaojun Li, Ruofan Yi, Cheng Jiang, Hua Huang, Mingming Zhang","doi":"10.1177/15578682251381135","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15578682251381135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tu, Ke, Lei Tian, Qi Zhu, Kailian Bai, Lin Li, Mengmei Fu, Mengxia Wang, Lei Zhang, Zhuo Zhan, Haoxi Li, Xiaojun Li, Ruofan Yi, Cheng Jiang, Hua Huang, and Mingming Zhang. Intraoperative opioid-free anesthesia with dexmedetomidine and esketamine versus conventional general anesthesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy at 3,600 m: a randomized trial on hemodynamic stability and postoperative recovery. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 27:8-16, 2026.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) is gaining attention as an alternative to opioid-based techniques. However, its hemodynamic and clinical characteristics at high altitudes, where hypoxia and resource limitations prevail, remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this single-blind randomized trial, 48 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at 3,600 m were assigned to either a conventional general anesthesia (CGA) group (sevoflurane, sufentanil, remifentanil) or an OFA group (sevoflurane, dexmedetomidine, esketamine). The primary outcome was intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP); secondary outcomes included heart rate (HR), awakening time, sedation level, patient satisfaction, postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), perioperative medication use, and adverse events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with CGA, the OFA group maintained higher intraoperative MAP, with significant differences after induction (OFA: 87.9 ± 12.3 vs. CGA: 77.2 ± 11.7 mmHg, <i>p</i> < 0.005) and 10 minutes after incision (OFA: 83.5 ± 14.9 vs. CGA: 72.5 ± 9.8 mmHg, <i>p</i> < 0.005). The CGA group exhibited a significant MAP decline at 10 minutes postincision (72.5 ± 9.8 vs. baseline: 83.0 ± 9.1 mmHg, <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas the OFA group showed a transient MAP increase after intubation (96.1 ± 16.1 vs. baseline: 85.8 ± 7.8 mmHg, <i>p</i> < 0.01). HR trends paralleled MAP changes. Awakening time was significantly longer with OFA (OFA: 20.4 ± 7.5 min vs. CGA: 10.6 ± 8.2 min, <i>p</i> < 0.001), while pain scores at 6 and 12 hours were lower (<i>p</i> < 0.005). Sedation, satisfaction, PONV, and medication use were comparable. No severe adverse events occurred.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>At high altitudes, OFA with dexmedetomidine and esketamine exhibited distinct clinical characteristics compared with opioid-based anesthesia, maintaining blood pressure and postoperative analgesia but less effectively blunting intubation-induced pressor responses and prolonging awakening time. These factors should be weighed when selecting anesthesia strategies in resource-limited, high-altitude settings, particularly when managing large numbers of patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"8-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145086003","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":"Innate Immune Phenotypes During Acute High-Altitude Exposure.","authors":"Abel Vargas, Veronica Penuelas, Karapet G Mkrtchyan, Kathy Pham, Shyleen Frost, Esteban A Moya, James J Yu, Tatum S Simonson, Erica C Heinrich","doi":"10.1177/15578682251379737","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15578682251379737","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vargas, Abel, Veronica Penuelas, Karapet G. Mkrtchyan, Kathy Pham, Shyleen Frost, Esteban A. Moya, James J. Yu, Tatum S. Simonson, and Erica C. Heinrich. Innate immune phenotypes during acute high-altitude exposure. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 27:33-41, 2026.</p><p><strong>Introduction: </strong>High altitude is a physiologically stressful environment due to limited oxygen availability. Decades of study reveal the complex plasticity in many physiological systems that manifests at high altitude to maintain oxygen delivery. However, there are gaps in our knowledge regarding how high-altitude exposure influences immune function. Since tissue and cellular hypoxia occur during injury and infection, we hypothesized that sustained hypoxemia during high-altitude travel may impact inflammatory and immune phenotypes due to crosstalk between hypoxia and inflammatory response pathways.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We recruited 17 healthy participants and examined their immune phenotypes at sea level and during 3 days at 3,800 m elevation. Specific attention was paid to neutrophil phenotypes because changes in these cells have not been reported at high altitude.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found several impacts of high altitude on immune cell populations, including shifts in monocytes from classical to intermediate (<i>p</i> = 0.004 after 1 night at high altitude [HA1], and <i>p</i> < 0.001 after 2 nights at high altitude [HA2]) and nonclassical subsets (<i>p</i> = 0.013 on HA2), and increases in total B cells (<i>p</i> = 0.001 on HA2, <i>p</i> = 0.004 [HA3]). An effect of altitude was found for neutrophil CD15 expression (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with a trend toward increased expression over time at high altitude. Higher Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) scores on the second day at high altitude were associated with more pronounced shifts to nonclassical monocyte populations (<i>R</i>² = 0.79, <i>p</i> = 0.001). These data indicate that acute high-altitude travel results in a pro-inflammatory immune response, which may contribute to AMS. This response appears to blunt with acclimatization, although elevation in B cells remain by HA3.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"33-41"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13189276/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Causal Relationships Between High-Altitude Adaptation, Metabolic Traits, and Tumors: Insights from Mendelian Randomization.","authors":"Xingkai Zhang, Liang He, Kai Li, Wen Li, Li Wang, Ling Chen, Qinghai Shi","doi":"10.1177/15578682251382795","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15578682251382795","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zhang, Xingkai, Liang He, Kai Li, Wen Li, Li Wang, Ling Chen, and Qinghai Shi. Causal relationships between high-altitude adaptation, metabolic traits, and tumors: insights from Mendelian randomization. <i>High Alt Med Biol.</i> 27:23-32, 2026.</p><p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Previous studies suggest that high-altitude adaptation (HAA) and metabolic traits in high-altitude populations correlate with tumor risk, but causal mechanisms remain unclear. This Mendelian randomization (MR) study investigated genetic links between HAA, metabolic traits, and tumor susceptibility while exploring potential mediation effects.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Genome-wide association studies data for HAA, metabolic traits, and tumors were sourced from public databases. Inverse variance weighting served as the primary analytical method, supplemented by weighted mode, MR-Egger, and weighted median. Sensitivity analyses and two-step MR (TSMR) assessed robustness and mediation pathways.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified a potential association between HAA and a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 8.94e-8, <i>p</i> = 0.011) and cervical cancer (OR = 8.04e-6, <i>p</i> = 0.005). In contrast, HAA showed a potential link to an increased risk of esophageal cancer (OR = 3230.25, <i>p</i> = 0.03) and hepatocellular carcinoma (OR = 2080.07, <i>p</i> = 0.015). Several metabolic traits, particularly platelet-related indices, were identified as potentially associated with tumorigenesis. However, although possible mediating pathways were suggested, no metabolic trait demonstrated a statistically significant mediating effect.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings highlight HAA's complex role in tumor susceptibility and provide a genetic framework for understanding tumor disparities in high-altitude regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12975,"journal":{"name":"High altitude medicine & biology","volume":" ","pages":"23-32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145137207","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}