Programme

Chair: Max Gassmann, Zürich/Switzerland; Christian Stockmann, Zürich/Switzerland

11:30 GS-06-01
Iron hemeostasis in response to decreased oxygen-availability at high altitude
Martina Muckenthaler, Schlieren, Switzerland

12:00 GS-06-02
Impact of high-altitude residence on dietary iron absorption
Nicole Stoffel, Zürich, Switzerland

12:20 GS-06-03
Altered iron uptake in patients with pulmonary hypertension
Christina Eichstaedt, Heidelberg, Germany

12:45 GS-06-04
High Altitude: the pathogenesis of iron in patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension
Aurelia Reisser, Zürich, Switzerland

Short description:
This symposium examines how hypoxia reshapes iron metabolism and contributes to pulmonary vascular disease across physiological adaptation and pathology. Hypoxia-driven increases in erythropoiesis and hemoglobin synthesis elevate systemic iron demand, which is met through tightly coordinated regulation of intestinal iron absorption, mobilization from iron stores, erythropoietin–erythroferrone signaling, and suppression of hepcidin. Evidence from long-term high-altitude populations and prospective human studies demonstrates that these adaptations can persist chronically, reflecting an integrated response to environmental, genetic, and metabolic cues. Dysregulation of these mechanisms has important clinical consequences, particularly in pulmonary hypertension, where iron deficiency is associated with hypoxia, impaired exercise capacity, and worse outcomes. By integrating experimental and clinical findings, the symposium highlights how altered iron homeostasis and hypoxia-driven vascular remodeling intersect in the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension, providing a unified view of iron–hypoxia interactions across health and disease.