Lifelong exposure to high‐altitude hypoxia in humans is associated with improved redox homeostasis and structural–functional adaptations of the neurovascular unit

High-altitude (HA) hypoxia may alter the structural-functional integrity of the neurovascular unit (NVU). Herein, we compared male lowlanders (n = 9) at sea level (SL) and after 14 days acclimatization to 4300 m (chronic HA) in Cerro de Pasco (CdP), Péru (HA), against sex-, age- and body mass index-matched healthy highlanders (n = 9) native to CdP (lifelong HA). Venous blood was assayed for serum proteins reflecting NVU integrity, in addition to free radicals and nitric oxide (NO). Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was examined in conjunction with cerebral substrate delivery, dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA), cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide (CVR