How do High-pressure environments have a profound effect on the cardiopulmonary system?
The heart, as well as the arteries, veins, and capillaries that allow blood to flow throughout the body, make up the blood circulatory system. Blood is a fluid made up of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets that circulates throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrition to the tissues while also transporting waste. Proteins and minerals are among the nutrients circulated; additional components transported include gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, hormones, and hemoglobin; these nutrients provide sustenance, aid in disease fighting, and maintain homeostasis by regulating temperature and pH.
Acute high-altitude exposure can impact the cardiovascular system by lowering blood oxygen levels (acute hypoxia). It also raises the heart's workload, adrenaline production, and pulmonary artery pressures. At roughly 2500 meters, significant changes in atmospheric pressure, oxygen pressure, humidity, and temperature occur.
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