Abstract
Introduction: Human adaptation to high altitude is due to characteristic adjustments at every physiological level. Differences in lipid profile and cardiovascular risk factors in altitude dwellers have been previously explored. Nevertheless, there are no reports available on genotype-controlled matches among different altitude-adapted indigenous populations.Objective: To explore the possible differences in plasma lipid profile and cardiovascular risk among autochthonous Kiwcha people inhabitants of low and high-altitude locations.Methodology: A cross-sectional analysis of plasmatic lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk factors in lowland Kiwchas from Limoncocha (230 m) and high-altitude Kiwchas from Oyacachi (3,800 m).Results: In the low altitude group, 66% were women (n = 78) and 34% (n = 40) were men, whereas in the high altitude group, 59% (n = 56) were women and 41% (n = 41%) were men. We found the proportion of overweight and obese individuals to be higher among low altitude dwellers (p < 0.05). Red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin concentration, and SpO2% were higher among high altitude dwellers and the erythrocyte size was found to be smaller at high altitude. The group located at low altitude also showed lower levels of plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), but most of these differences are not influenced by gender or elevation.Conclusions: Living at an altitude elicits well-known adaptive physiological changes such as erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit level, and serum glucose level. We also report clinical differences in the plasma lipid profile, with higher levels of cholesterol, HDL, and LDL in inhabitants of the Andes Mountain vs. their Amazonian basin peers. Despite this, we did not find significant differences in cardiovascular risk.
Highlights
Human adaptation to high altitude is due to characteristic adjustments at every physiological level
We found the proportion of overweight and obese individuals to be higher among low altitude dwellers (p < 0.05)
Red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin concentration, and SpO2% were higher among high altitude dwellers and the erythrocyte size was found to be smaller at high altitude
Summary
Human adaptation to high altitude is due to characteristic adjustments at every physiological level. Differences in lipid profile and cardiovascular risk factors in altitude dwellers have been previously explored. There are no reports available on genotype-controlled matches among different altitude-adapted indigenous populations. Humans have developed adaptive mechanisms that allow them to live under extreme conditions. These conditions include cold and harsh environments such as those found at high-altitude locations. Studying high-altitude dwellers is essential to understand the environmental, physiological, and genetic factors that are linked to the incidence and prevalence of different maladies in these populations (Miranda et al, 2019)
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