Heart Health

Ask the doctor: Is high altitude exercising better for your heart?

Q.I live at 6,000 feet of altitude and am 67 years old. Does exercising at that high an altitude confer any additional health benefits, especially for the cardiovascular system?

At 6,000 feet the air has a lower oxygen tension. Your body has adapted to that. You make more oxygen-carrying red blood cells than I do. Also, your blood has less fluid in it than mine, so your heart works a bit less hard than mine does.

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