Baroreflex control of sympathetic vasomotor activity and resting arterial pressure at high altitude: insight from Lowlanders and Sherpa

Key points Hypoxia, a potent activator of the sympathetic nervous system, is known to increase muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) to the peripheral vasculature of native Lowlanders during sustained high altitude (HA) exposure. We show that the arterial baroreflex control of MSNA functions normally in healthy Lowlanders at HA, and that upward baroreflex resetting permits chronic activation of basal sympathetic vasomotor activity under this...