Is living “high” harming life expectancy?

I've always wondered about it and I just found a publication in the “Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health” published in March of 2011 that seems to show that living at higher altitude may have a protective effect on heart disease and strokes, but a harmful impact on pulmonary disease.

Based at least on these two opposing effects, living at higher altitude appears to have no net effect on life expectancy. The study took place on high-elevation counties of the U.S. Rockies, above 5,000 feet (1500 m) and found longer life expectancies in their populations than those living around sea level by 1.2–3.6 years for men and 0.5–2.5 years for women.

After adjustments, like annual solar radiations and cumulative exposure to smoking, altitude had a beneficial association with cardiovascular mortality and a harmful association with lung disease. Now I feel relieved that living permanently “high” isn't going to kill me!