Heart issues and altitude (high school, college, living)

[BIGNO]

it's ok...we have the same question and we are considering moving with a 6 year old who has had 9 heart surgeries and an artificial mitral valve. We are trying to decide if we should move to Morrison CO. I know i had to adjust to the altitude and i am in pretty good shape. Any further thoughts. My daughter is on a blood thinner and will need future surgeries. The doctors say she should b fine? Thoughts?

[hollyt00]

We found out that my grandmother had heart issues when she visited us in Casper, WY (elevation about 5K I think), and about two months after my husband's grandfather came up for my husband's graduation (visited in Colorado Springs), he died from heart problems. He had existing heart problems and the short visit to the higher altitude was just too much for his weak heart. All that said, he had visited several years earlier with no problems, so it's hard to say if the visit was what hurt him, but it certainly did not help him at all.


Everyone is different, but there are serious considerations. I would consider calling a doctor up in Denver to see what they'd suggest.

[Deniselk]

My husband would like his 88 year old father to visit us from CA, and he takes BP meds and had some blockage problems. I begged him to have him speak to his Dr before making the trip. I am terrified something will happen while he is here (our home is at 7060 ft according to my GPS his town in CA is 230 ft)

[Marcy1210]

I think the best thing to do is take it slowly. Don't just fly in to COS from sea level. Fly to Denver. Spend a day then rent a car and drive to COS. Take time to acclimate, take any meds you need, drink lots of water, don't drink alcohol and don't over exert yourself. Ease into activities that might require some hiking or walking. Even the zoo can be a real tedious trek for one's heart. Most of us who make the move here, even to Woodland Park, acclimate. One thing about high altitude is that your red blood cells will increase in size if you're here for a couple of weeks or so in order to hold more oxygen. Oxygen saturation in your blood at sea level is 24%, at 10,000 ft, it's 18%. That's a huge difference. It will take your heart and blood about two to three weeks to get accustomed to the lower oxygen levels in your lungs. Chapped lips, dry skin, shortness of breath, itching and exhaustion are to be expected in the first few days. If you feel any discomfort that might be heart related, call 911. The First Responders in El Paso and Teller Counties are so used to visitors who may be experiencing cardiac issues, or who are just getting used to the altitude without cardiac issues. Better to be safe than sorry. Use care and be aware.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Deniselk

My husband would like his 88 year old father to visit us from CA, and he takes BP meds and had some blockage problems. I begged him to have him speak to his Dr before making the trip. I am terrified something will happen while he is here (our home is at 7060 ft according to my GPS his town in CA is 230 ft)

Deniselk, I think there is good reason for concern. I arrived here in June after living in Bangkok, Thailand for a year and a half. My blood pressure went crazy and stayed relatively out of control for a full 3 months. I went to the doctor almost every other week for those first 3 months, and their response was to adjust my meds level and to relax because, according to them, I would adjust. And suddenly I did. But there were some scary nights.

What my doctors said was that the average person will adjust, and the only people they had ever seen who had not had serious medical problems to begin with.

Now 5 months later, I'm feeling fine. My BP is back to normal (at least "my" normal). The only aftereffects I feel is that I still do tire a bit more easily than I did previously.

[highliver]

When my 90 year old brother lived in Colorado permanently, he had to take blood pressure medication. Now that he spends most of his time in Arizona, he no longer has to take medications of any kind.

In the book, "The China Study," the author, Dr. Campbell, tells us that higher altitudes require more red blood cells in order to carry the required amount of oxygen - we all know that. But he adds that red blood cells are pretty big cells and the more of them you have circulating in your system, the more damage they cause to valves and arteries.

I imagine short term, no problem; perhaps over many years and/or people who already have CV difficulties could possibly incur damage compared to living at an altitude closer to sea level. I suppose there is an accumulating effect that worsens over time. On the other hand, you may want to consider the beneficial effects of clean air, sunshine, physical activities offered in Colorado and perhaps things cancel out. Nevertheless, higher altitudes do impose greater wear and tear one could conclude.

[Marcy1210]

Colorado consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the Union, so I don't think that the altitude plays much of a role once a person is acclimated which on average takes 6-12 weeks. It's also one of the leanest states with the least number of overweight/obese people probably due to all the outdoor activities available: Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, etc. Heart disease is most prevalent in the South, probably due to diet, obesity and lack of excercise.

Heart Disease | The State of State Health

Colorado was the second lowest state in heart disease rankings; West Virginia had the highest number of heart disease deaths. Colorado is a very healthy state.

[SheridanL]

So Colorado was the second lowest in heart disease ratings,,,,I am curious, what state was first???

[mountainrose]

I am curious to know if that previous post stating that bigger red blood cells (from living at higher altitude) causes strain on the heart valves is really true. I have Mitral Valve Prolapse with mild regurgitation, does anyone here have MVP and has it gotten worse at higher altitude?

[Marcy1210]

Originally Posted by SheridanL

So Colorado was the second lowest in heart disease ratings,,,,I am curious, what state was first???

Surprisingly, DC had the lowest. WVA had the highest.