Kathmandu – An Italian expedition on Mount Everest measured in a systematic way the effects of altitude on blood pressure. The data confirms that reduced oxygen availability at high altitude causes an increase in blood pressure: the effects are more pronounced at night and in people over the age of 50. One of the most common hypertension medications, telmisartan, is effective up to 3,400 meters, but no longer works at 5,400 meters, altitude of the Everest Base Camp. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, was conducted under the project HIGHCARE (HIGH altitude Cardiovascular Research) at the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. (9Colonne)
