ABSTRACT
AIM: To study the impact of cold waves on disease course, hemodynamics, lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms, oxidative stress, and blood rheological properties in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 24 men and 36 women (their mean age was 62.9±9.7 years) were examined; coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension were present in 40 and 95% of the patients, respectively; selected therapy remained unchanged throughout the entire period. The investigators measured blood pressure and pulse wave velocity (PWV), carried out biochemical blood tests, estimated plasma oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, calculated a MDA/SOD ratio, determined blood viscosity; as well as assessed quality of life using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a specially developed questionnaire. RESULTS: Female sex, CHD, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) were independent predictors of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in the frost period. The persons who had experienced CVEs in frost had higher baseline PWV. CVEs, such as hypertensive crisis, emergency calls, cardiac arrhythmias, and the larger number of adverse reactions, were more commonly recorded in frost. There was an increase in blood glucose levels, a decrease in oxLDL, a rise in η2/η1, and a reduction in plasma viscosity during frost and elevated glycation end product levels at visit 2. Conclusion. The cold wave is associated with the larger number of CVEs in some patients with CVD during selected therapy. CHD, DM-2, female sex are independent predictors of CVE in patients with CVD during the winter period. In this period, there were increases in the levels of glucose, glycation end products, and erythrocyte aggregation, and a reduction in plasma viscosity.
