Does Living at High Altitude Affect COPD Outcomes?

At high altitude, partial pressure of inspired oxygen drops, leading to decreased arterial oxygen content and triggering a cascade of physiologic adaptations. The effect of prolonged exposure to high altitude on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not well understood.

Researchers used data from an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study to compare ≈1400 patients with COPD living at <1000 ft (305 m) elevation with ≈300 living at >4000 ft (1219 m) elevation. Most of the high-altitude group lived in Denver or Salt Lake City; most participants in both groups had lived at these altitudes for at least 10 years.

In analyses adjusted for relevant confounders, patients at high altitude had ≈100 ft shorter 6-minute walk d…