Key result
Higher resting MSNA links to faster heart rate at high altitude in lowlanders, but not indigenous highlanders.
Why the study?
High-altitude hypoxia substantially increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity, but its association with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics remains unclear in lowlanders and indigenous highlanders.
Cross-Sectional (n=57)
Yes
Single time-point resting MSNA has limited predictive value for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics at high altitude, with associations varying across lowlander and indigenous populations.
Resting MSNA has limited predictive value for high-altitude hemodynamics; hypothesis-generating for population-specific sympathetic regulation needing prospective study.
High‐altitude hypoxia elicits several profound physiological responses, including substantial increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA); however, the association of this heightened MSNA with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics remains unclear in lowlanders and indigenous highlander populations. We hypothesized that at high altitude resting MSNA would be associated with resting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics in lowlanders ( n = 26), and Sherpa ( n = 8) and Andean ( n = 23) indigenous highlanders. Data were retrospectively analysed from two separate high‐altitude expeditions to Nepal (2016; 5050 m) and Peru (2018; 4300 m). We assessed resting MSNA via radial or peroneal microneurography, and measured , heart rate, mean arterial pressure, brachial artery blood flow and endothelial function, and internal carotid and vertebral artery diameter, velocity, and blood flow. Resting MSNA demonstrated limited, population‐specific associations with vascular haemodynamics. Lowlanders showed the most consistent relationships, including positive associations between MSNA and heart rate, vertebral artery diameter and blood flow, and internal carotid artery velocity, while Sherpa and Andean highlanders showed few systemic or cerebrovascular associations with MSNA. No relationship was observed between MSNA and , brachial artery blood flow or endothelial function across populations. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that most directional relationships were robust to the removal of influential participants, although some associations, including the negative relationship between MSNA and brachial artery blood flow in Sherpa, were attenuated. These data highlight that single time‐point, resting MSNA may have limited predictive value for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics at high altitude within these specific populations; however, these data should be interpreted with caution, given the small cross‐sectional sample sizes.
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MacDonald et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in High-altitude hypoxia exposure (n=57). Resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was evaluated on Association between resting MSNA and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular hemodynamics. Resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity showed limited associations with hemodynamics at high altitude, though lowlanders exhibited a positive association between burst frequency and heart rate (P=0.002) that was absent in indigenous highlanders.
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