The Canadian journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study
Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac performance in response to high altitude and development of subclinical pulmonary edema in healthy climbers.
Data regarding the effect of high altitude on heart function are sparse and conflicting. We aimed to assess the right and left ventricular responses to altitude-induced hypoxia and the occurrence of subclinical pulmonary edema. ⋯ Subclinical HAPE is frequent in healthy lowlander climbers. This is the first study to document a trend towards decreased RV free wall strain and MPI increment at high altitude. Whether rising RV MPI is a physiologic adaptive mechanism to hypoxia or a pathologic response identifying HAPE-susceptible subjects needs further study.