Asthma and High Altitude: Is It Safe to Be and Work?

Bronchial asthma (BA) at high altitude (HA) has been studied for decades, but studies were limited to relatively low altitudes (below 3000 meters above sea level (MASL). Very scarce scientific evidence is available whether BA subjects can proceed to HA for recreational purposes and for work, and if they can, how well they will do. This paper summarizes past and current experience of BA patients stay at HA in Kyrgyzstan, mainly on a course of high-altitude climate therapy, and also reviews existing data from other countries, where BA patients travel to HA for various reasons. The existing conservative approach in assessing patients should be reassessed, and BA patients with well-controlled disease may be well at high altitude in light of evidence of beneficial effects of pollen concentration reduction, endogenous cortisol stimulation and reduced markers of inflammation.