Demographics, clinical features, and comorbidities of high-altitude polycythaemia: a multicentre, retrospective, observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

High altitude polycythaemia (HAPC) has posed a major burden due to its high prevalence and multisystem involvement among highlanders, but clinical data on HAPC is scarce. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with HAPC in China.

Methods

Adult patients diagnosed with HAPC in five hospitals of China between August 2012 to May 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. We analysed information including demographics, living altitude, haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and comorbidities, and fitted restricted cubic splines models with multivariable adjustments to investigate the relationship between age, altitude and Hb.

Results

A total of 1098 HAPC patients were included and 97 individuals of them did not provide information on ethnicity. Of the re

SUBMITTER: Yang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856962 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature