Blood pressure level increase with altitude in three argentinean indigenous communities

Valeria Hirschler; Claudio Gonzalez; Claudia Molinari; Hernan Velez; Mariela Nordera; Rodrigo Suarez; Alberto Robredo; Valeria Hirschler; Claudio Gonzalez; Claudia Molinari; Hernan Velez; Mariela Nordera; Rodrigo Suarez; Alberto Robredo

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2019.4.370

AIMS Public Health

2019, Volume 6, Issue 4: 370-379. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.4.370

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Research article

Blood pressure level increase with altitude in three argentinean indigenous communities

1.
University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2.
Cardiology, Hospital Materno Infantil, Salta, Argentina
3.
Hospital Oniativia, Salta, Argentina

Received: 29 June 2019 Accepted: 08 October 2019 Published: 12 October 2019

Objective: To compare blood pressure (BP) levels in three groups of Argentinean Indigenous schoolchildren from similar ethnic backgrounds but living at three different altitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional study compared 185 (83 females) children aged 5–14 years from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC), 3750 m above sea level; 46 (23 females) from Cobres, 3450 m; and 167 (83 females) from Chicoana (CH), 1400 m. Anthropometric and BP measurements were performed. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was lower in SAC (6.5% [12]) and Cobres (4.3% [2]) than in CH (24% [24]) (BMI > 85 percentile per CDC norms). Systolic BP increased significantly with altitude: (SAC 86 mm Hg, Cobres 77 mm Hg, and CH 69 mm Hg). Similar results were obtained with diastolic BP (SAC 57 mm Hg, Cobres 51 mm Hg, and CH 47 mm Hg) and with median arterial pressure (MAP) (SAC 67 mm Hg, Cobres 60 mm Hg, and CH 55 mm Hg). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that altitude was significantly and independently associated with children’s systolic BP (beta 10.56; R 2 = 0.40), diastolic BP (beta 6.27; R 2 = 0.25) and MAP (beta 7.69; R 2 = 0.32); adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Conclusions: We found that as altitude increased, BP levels increased significantly in indigenous children from similar backgrounds living permanently at different altitudes.
- school children,
- high altitude,
- blood pressure
Citation: Valeria Hirschler, Claudio Gonzalez, Claudia Molinari, Hernan Velez, Mariela Nordera, Rodrigo Suarez, Alberto Robredo. Blood pressure level increase with altitude in three argentinean indigenous communities[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2019, 6(4): 370-379. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.4.370

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Abstract

Objective: To compare blood pressure (BP) levels in three groups of Argentinean Indigenous schoolchildren from similar ethnic backgrounds but living at three different altitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional study compared 185 (83 females) children aged 5–14 years from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC), 3750 m above sea level; 46 (23 females) from Cobres, 3450 m; and 167 (83 females) from Chicoana (CH), 1400 m. Anthropometric and BP measurements were performed. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was lower in SAC (6.5% [12]) and Cobres (4.3% [2]) than in CH (24% [24]) (BMI > 85 percentile per CDC norms). Systolic BP increased significantly with altitude: (SAC 86 mm Hg, Cobres 77 mm Hg, and CH 69 mm Hg). Similar results were obtained with diastolic BP (SAC 57 mm Hg, Cobres 51 mm Hg, and CH 47 mm Hg) and with median arterial pressure (MAP) (SAC 67 mm Hg, Cobres 60 mm Hg, and CH 55 mm Hg). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that altitude was significantly and independently associated with children’s systolic BP (beta 10.56; R 2 = 0.40), diastolic BP (beta 6.27; R 2 = 0.25) and MAP (beta 7.69; R 2 = 0.32); adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Conclusions: We found that as altitude increased, BP levels increased significantly in indigenous children from similar backgrounds living permanently at different altitudes.

Acknowledgments

Members of the San Antonio de los Cobres Study Group Collaborators are Graciela Colque, MD, Hospital San Antonio de los Cobres (Salta, Argentina); Marcelo Figueroa, MD, Centro Mater (SaltaArgentina); and Jose Gonzalez, MS, Escuela Hogar San Antonio de los Cobres(Salta Argentina); and teachers, schoolchildren, and parents from SAC, CH, and Cobres.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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