Considerations on safety and treatment of patients with chronic heart failure at high altitude

Piergiuseppe Agostoni. Considerations on safety and treatment of patients with chronic heart failure at high altitude. High Alt Med Biol 14:96-100, 2013. - Prognosis and quality of life of chronic heart failure (HF) patients have greatly improved over the last decade. Consequently, many patients are willing to spend leisure time at altitude, usually 1-β₂-α- blocker, reduces the hypoxic ventilatory response through a reduction of the chemoreflex response, and it reduces alveolar-capillary gas diffusion, which is under control by β₂-receptors. These actions are not shared by selective β₁-blockers such as bisoprolol and nebivolol, which should be preferred for treatment of HF patients willing to spend time at altitude. In conclusion, spending time at altitude (