High-altitude heart disease

High-altitude heart disease is characterized by pulmonary hypertension caused by chronic hypobaric hypoxia, with right ventricular hypertrophy or right heart failure. It is another type of chronic mountain sickness and can be divided into pediatric and adult high-altitude heart disease. This disease tends to occur at altitudes above 3500 m and usually follows a chronic course; a few individuals entering high altitude for the first time, especially children, may present acutely or subacutely, referred to abroad as subacute mountain sickness. Acute or subacute cases are characterized by right ventricular enlargement and congestive right heart failure due to marked pulmonary hypertension, while chronic cases are characterized by right ventricular hypertrophy predominantly due to right ventricular afterload overload, with multi-organ damage.