Clinical and Physiological Consequences of Hypoxia/Hypoxemia in Healthy Subjects and Patients

Dear Colleagues,

Low arterial oxygen content, termed hypoxemia, is often closely linked to respiratory or cardiovascular diseases or environmental conditions (high altitude, air travel). Hypoxemia has broad clinical and physiological consequences. It leads to insufficient availability of oxygen in tissues (hypoxia) and, therefore, may alter brain functionality, induce tissue remodeling and destruction, result in organ dysfunction and might promote progression of morbidity and mortality.

Diseases associated with hypoxemia are highly prevalent (COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome). Moreover, millions of people are living at high altitude places worldwide (8 million alone in Bogotá, 2640 m, Columbia). Intriguingly, current recommendations in patients with COPD recommend long-term oxygen therapy when the resting PaO₂ value is <7.3 kPa (55 mmHg) or SaO₂ <89 %, independent of living altitude. Moreover, the lack of well-designed studies complicates recommendations for patients with pre-existing cardiopulmonary diseases planning mountain sojourns, as well as treatments of patients permanently living at high-altitude places. On the other side, hypoxemia is not always deleterious; therefore, patients with ischemic heart disease might have a lower mortality rate when living at higher altitude (Ezzatti 2012, J Epidemiol Community Health). In accordance, millions of people migrate to higher altitudes, but not all of them have hypoxemic maladaptations; therefore, the pathways of hypoxemia are multifactorial and need more attention.

This Special Issue has the following aims:

1) To provide deep insights into the consequences of hypoxemia and hypoxia on the clinical, physiological and molecular level in humans.

2) To connect multiple areas of research and to improve evidence-based medicine in patients and highlanders suffering from hypoxemia.

3) To acquire a comprehensive understanding; to be able to improve current recommendations to prevent, treat or promote hypoxemia; to counsel patients planning to fly or live at high altitude; to protect healthy highlanders from suffering damage from chronic hypoxemia and hypoxia.

To accomplish these aims, we invite all research performed in humans focusing on the clinical, physiological and molecular level in any disease or condition related to or caused by hypoxemia and hypoxia. We welcome all forms of submissions: original research articles and review articles.

Prof. Dr. Martin Burtscher
Dr. Sébastien Baillieul
Dr. Michael Furian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• hypoxia
• hypoxemia
• oxygen deficit
• altitude
• hypobaric hypoxia
• normobaric hypoxia