PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Arestegui, Abdias Hurtado
AU  - Fuquay, Richard
AU  - Sirota, Jeffrey
AU  - Swenson, Erik R.
AU  - Schoene, Robert B.
AU  - Jefferson, J. Ashley
AU  - Chen, Wei
AU  - Yu, Xue-qing
AU  - Kelly, Jackeline Pando
AU  - Johnson, Richard J.
AU  - Escudero, Elizabeth
TI  - High Altitude Renal Syndrome (HARS)
AID  - 10.1681/ASN.2010121316
DP  - 2011 Nov 01
TA  - Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
PG  - 1963--1968
VI  - 22
IP  - 11
4099  - http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/22/11/1963.short
4100  - http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/22/11/1963.full
SO  - J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.2011 Nov 01; 22
AB  - More than 140 million people live permanently at high altitude (>2400 m) under hypoxic conditions that challenge basic physiology. Here we present a short historical review of the populating of these regions and of evidence for genetic adaptations and environmental factors (such as exposure to cobalt) that may influence the phenotypic responses. We also review some of the common renal physiologic responses focusing on clinical manifestations. The frequent presentation of systemic hypertension and microalbuminuria with relatively preserved GFR coupled with the presence of polycythemia and hyperuricemia suggests a new clinical syndrome we term high altitude renal syndrome (HARS). ACE inhibitors appear effective at reducing proteinuria and lowering hemoglobin levels in these patients.