On the tail of the positive results of the
TALENT trial,
HIGHCARE-Andes (
HIGH altitude
CArdiovascular
REsearch in the
Andes) is a new study being undertaken by Professor Gianfranco Parati of the University of Milan-Biococca and colleagues to investigate the effectiveness of Pritor
®/Kinzal
® and Adalat GITS
® on blood pressure at high altitude in hypertensive patients. Pritor
®/Kinzal
® is the first ARB to be tested in such conditions and the results will contribute to the strong evidence base established throughout the history of this unique compound.
The low oxygen content of the air at high altitudes is associated with important changes in cardiovascular regulation, including increased heart rate and raised blood pressure. Because of the massive development of tourism and sport activities in mountain areas, millions of people are periodically exposed for relatively short periods of time to altitudes above 2500 m. Although a substantial number of these people are likely to be affected by hypertension or cardiovascular problems, little is known about the blood pressure responses to high altitude in hypertensive patients. Even less is known about the efficacy and tolerability of antihypertensive drugs in such conditions.
Previous research found a blood pressure-raising effect of high altitude on non-hypertensive, healthy subjects, which was counteracted by blood pressure-lowering medication. However, it is not clear whether subjects with known hypertension will show a similar response to high altitude and what effect blood-pressure lowering medication may have for them under such conditions.
