High Altitude (HA) Residents With High Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension (HAPH), Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP) Assessed at HA (3200 m) vs LA (760 m)

Comparative Study of Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP) Assessed by Echocardiography in Patients With High Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension (HAPH) Permanently Residing Above 2500 Meters When Assessed Near Resident High Altitude (HA) at 3200 m vs. at Low Altitude (LA) at 760 m

To study the effect of relocation from 3200 m (Aksay) to 760 m (Bishkek) in patients with high altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) who permanently live >2500 m on pulmonary artery pressure (PAP)

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: High Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Echocardiography

Detailed Description

This research in highlanders with HAPH diagnosed by echocardiography and defined by a RV/RA >30 mmHg who permanently live at HA >2500 m will have pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) assessed by echocardiography near their living altitude in Aksay at 3200 m and at 760 m in Bishkek the day after the first and the seventh night after relocation.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Kyrgyzstan
  • Aksay Plateau, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan
    • Aksay Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Permanently living >2500 m
• HAPH diagnosed with a minimum RV/RA of 30 mmHg assessed by echocardiography at an altitude of 3200 m
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Highlanders who cannot follow the study investigations,
• Patients with moderate to severe concomitant lung disease (FEV1<70% or forced vital capacity <70%), severe parenchymal lung disease, heavy smoking >20 cigarettes/day or >20 pack-years.
• Coexistent unstable systemic hypertension or coronary artery disease that required adjustment of medication within the last 2 months
• Regular use of medication that affects control of breathing (benzodiazepines, opioids, acetazolamide)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Assessments at 3200 m and 760 m, respectively; Participants will have a echocardiography near their resident altitude at 3200 m and after relocation to 760 m after 1 and 7 days	Other: Echocardiography; Echocardiography will be performed according to clinical standards

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Pulmonary artery Pressure (PAP) after the first night at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in RV/RA in mmHg assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs High altitude (3200 m)	day 2 at 760 m vs. 3200 m

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Pulmonary artery Pressure (PAP) after seven nights at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in RV/RA in mmHg assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs High altitude (3200 m)	day 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Cardiac output at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in cardiac output in l/min assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Tricuspid pressure gradient by echocardiography at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Tricuspid pressure gradient assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Tricupsid annular plane systolic excursion by echocardiography at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Tricupsid annular plane systolic excursion assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
pH by arterial blood gases at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in pH by arterial blood gases assessed between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) by arterial blood gases at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) assessed by arterial blood gases between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) by arterial blood gases at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) assessed by arterial blood gases partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	after the first and seventh night at LA
Change in right to left heart diameter ratio at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in right to left heart diameter ratio assessed by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Change in right atrial area at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in right atrial area by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Change in right heart strain at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in right heart strain by echocardiography between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m
Change in ECG morphology at 760 m (LA) vs at 3200 m (HA)	Change in ECG morphology and QT-interval by 12-lead ECG between LA (760 m) vs HA (3200 m)	day 2 and 7 at 760 m vs. 3200 m

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Zurich
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Silvia Ulrich, Prof. Dr., University Hospital Zurich, Department of Pulmonology; Principal Investigator: Talant M Sooronbaev, Prof. Dr., National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after academician M.Mirrakhimov

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 2, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 27, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): September 27, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 28, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): July 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 21, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pulmonary Hypertension; Hypoxia; High Altitude; Pulmonal Arterial Pressure
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Hypertension; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Hypoxia; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Altitude Sickness; Pulmonary edema of mountaineers
• Other Study ID Numbers: HAPH_HAvsLA_PAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No