High blood pressure (BP) is one of the principal cardiovascular risk factors. While BP levels and hypertension prevalence are well characterized in many populations, information on BP and on cardiovascular risk profile in high altitude inhabitants is limited and frequently contradictory, especially in the large highland populations of South America. The information on the effects of permanent high altitude exposure on cardiovascular variables including BP may be relevant in the light of the known BP-increasing effect of acute exposure to high altitude hypoxia. This information may have practical implications for millions of people living at elevated altitudes in Asia, South America and Africa. The inconclusive epidemiological evidence on BP and cardiovascular risk in high altitude dwellers may be the result of several factors, among them: 1) confounding by genetic and socio-economic factors; 2) imperfect methods of BP evaluation, in particular lack of data on ambulatory and home BP (both methods considered superior to conventional clinic BP in the assessment of exposure to high BP). On this background, the general aim of the study is to compare blood pressure levels and cardiovascular risk profile among population-based samples of subjects residing in Peruvian communities living at different altitudes.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
937
permanence at high (\>2500 m) altitude; permanence is defined as being born and living at high altitude with the total time spent at lower altitudes not exceeding 2 years in the past 10 years
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Lima, Peru
Difference in 24 h ambulatory systolic BP between lowlanders and highlanders.
Time frame: baseline
Differences in 24 h DBP, daytime and night-time systolic and diastolic BP between lowlanders and highlanders
Time frame: baseline
Difference in conventional systolic and diastolic BP between lowlanders and highlanders
Time frame: baseline
Difference in home systolic and diastolic BP between lowlanders and highlanders
Time frame: baseline
Difference in sleep quality between lowlanders and highlanders
Pittsburgh questionnaire (score)
Time frame: baseline
Difference in sleep duration between lowlanders and highlanders
self reported sleep duration (hours)
Time frame: baseline
Difference in estimated cardiovascular risk
Time frame: baseline
Difference between lowlanders and highlanders in hypertension prevalence
Time frame: baseline
Difference in a number of BP variables between highlanders living at three high altitude levels
Time frame: baseline
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