Seasonal Fluctuations in Hemodynamic Characteristics in Patients with Increased Meteosensitivity: a Survey

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Currently, the Russian Federation occupies one of the first places among the developed countries of the world in terms of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, 3–5 times higher than in developed countries. Arterial hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other risk factors contribute to the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases, and lifestyle modification and reduction in risk factor levels can slow their development. An increase in physical activity along with a decrease in the total calorie content of food is mandatory for reducing body weight. When combining physical exercises with climatotherapy (health path, physical exercises in the open air), it is necessary to take into account external meteorological conditions, as well as increased meteosensitivity of some patients, which are able to neutralize the therapeutic effects achieved by using, for example, health path.
 AIM. To study the frequency and seasonality of the main meteopathic reactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS. We conducted a verbal and communicative examination of 735 patients with a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 and over, who were treated in the health resort complex “Vulan“. The analysis of patients’ answers about arterial pressure increases and complaints about other meteopathic reactions during the year according to self-monitoring data was carried out. Macroclimatic characteristics of the location of the health resort complex were also studied. The study was performed as part of the research work under the state assignment of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, reg. No. 121040200110-0.
 RESULTS. It was revealed that the highest frequency of increased blood pressure recorded by patients is registered in March, October, November and December, the lowest is recorded in May, June and August. At the same time, the frequencies of other meteopathic reactions, such as fear, anxiety, shortness of breath, and others, are evenly distributed throughout the year.
 CONCLUSION. The study evaluated the natural climatic factors of the resort located on the Black Sea coast of the North Caucasus, by the example of the health resort complex “Vulan“ in connection with the search of favorable seasons for the treatment of cardiological patients with increased meteosensitivity. The results obtained allow us to make proposals to supplement the current regulatory documents with the data on the identified favorable periods of health resort treatment for cardiologic patients, expanding the seasonality for referring patients to the resorts of the Black Sea coast of the North Caucasus.