A new study found that people living in high altitude areas have a low risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetic anemia. The reason for this may be due to the fact that their bodies have adapted to life with less oxygen.
Observation of the Moso people living near the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of more than 2,500 thousand kilometers showed that they have a lower risk of developing hypertension and diabetic anemia than the low-mountain residents of Han. Humans have lived high on the Tibetan plateau for many thousands of years and their physiological characteristics appear to be what mitigates hypoxic stress.
While travelers at high altitudes experience a decrease in oxygen consumption of about 10 to 20%, Tibetans do not experience any deficit. This is because their bodies naturally dilate their blood vessels in a process called vasodilation to compensate for the reduced oxygen content. This increases their blood supply and lowers blood pressure to increase oxygen delivery.
As chronic diseases have become a global health problem in recent years, the researchers say it is very important to understand how they can be influenced by different local characteristics and genetic adaptations.