Blood pressure in inhabitants of high altitude of Western Nepal

Introduction: Studies conducted amongst the inhabitants of high altitude suggested that systolic and diastolic blood pressures are lower in the high than in low altitude population. So a study was designed to look at the blood pressure values among permanent residents of high altitudes of rural Western Nepal. Methods: This is a descriptive cross sectional study conducted at two different altitudes (2670 and 2950 meters) of Humla District, Nepal, looking at the blood pressure values among the permanent inhabitants at these altitudes.  Results: Total number of 137 subjects with 73 (53.3%) from 2950 meters and 64 (46.7%) from 2670 meters altitude were enrolled. Mean age of the study population was 35.29 years. Male were 57 (41.6%) and female 80 (58.4%). The difference in systolic blood pressures (118.59 and 114.66 mmHg, P=0.01) and mean arterial pressures (92.0 and 89.5 mmHg, P=0.02) at the altitudes of 2670 and 2950 meters were statistically significant whereas the difference in diastolic BP at these altitudes were not statistically significant. There was no significant correlation of BMI with blood pressure values and no difference was noted in the blood pressure values among the two different ethnic groups at the given altitudes.  Conclusions: Lower rate of hypertension was observed among the inhabitants of high altitude of rural western Nepal. Blood pressure was found to decreases with increase in altitude among permanent inhabitants of high altitude.  Keywords: altitude; blood pressure; high altitude inhabitants; hypertension; physiological change.