Comparison of Clinical Characteristics Between Patients With Altitude-Related Hypertension and Essential Hypertension at High Altitude


 
 
 To investigate the clinical characteristics of essential hypertension (EH) and altitude-related hypertension (ARH) hospitalized in Qinghai, and to provide the relevant information for the prevention and treatment of ARH.
 
 
 
 A total of 1,987 hypertensive patients from 3.0 to 4.5 km altitude areas, and hospitalized in Qinghai Cardio-Cerebrovascular Hospital were enrolled. Among them, 165 patients with elevated blood pressure (BP) (systolic BP ≥140 and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg) at high altitude and normal BP or BP reduction >20/10 mm Hg 2 weeks after arriving at Xining (altitude 2.26 km) were defined as ARH.
 
 
 
 Compared with EH, ARH patients at higher altitude had earlier onset age (48.0 ± 11.5 vs. 54.4 ± 9.8 years, P < 0.001), higher percentage of male patients (77.6% vs. 55.3%, P < 0.001), higher diastolic BP (115.8 ± 18.5 vs. 108.6 ± 15.4 mm Hg, P < 0.001), and lower systolic BP (165.9 ± 21.3 vs. 178.9 ± 24.4 mm Hg, P < 0.001). Erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and uric acid levels were higher in ARH patients than in EH patients (P < 0.05). Echocardiography showed that the right atrial and ventricular diameters were larger in ARH than EH (P < 0.05). The proportion of pulmonary artery hypertension in ARH was higher than EH (9.1% vs. 4.9%, P = 0.020), but there was no significant difference in the target organ damage and clinical complications of hypertension between the 2 groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that male, Han nationality, high-altitude living, elevated hemoglobin and uric acid, and obesity were associated with the occurrence of ARH.
 
 
 
 ARH is prevalent in young and middle-aged men, and is associated with Han nationality, elevated hemoglobin, uric acid, and obesity.
