Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) play a critical role in regulating many functions of the body by their particular impact on the cardiovascular system functioning at various levels of its organization.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the cardiovascular system and microcirculatory bloodstream functional state in conditionally healthy northern men permanently residing in the Magadan Region.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The complex scientific monitoring of northern men involved 45 men aged 40.0±0.8 years. They were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 — the experimental group (n=30) received preparation from re-esterified triglycerides as a PUFA supplement to the diet; Group 2 — the controls (n=15, without dietary intervention). Basic cardiovascular parameters (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) were assessed; dispersion mapping of the electrocardiogram was performed using the CardioVisor-06s device (Medical Computer Systems LLC, Russia) with detailed myocardial micro alternations and characteristics of depolarization and repolarization of the atria and ventricles. A Capillaroscan-01 (NET LLC, Russia) device was used to assess the microcirculation parameters with a 400-fold optical magnification of the eponychium zone of the nail bed. Detailed indicators were recorded characterizing the length of the capillary, the diameter of the arterial, transitional and venous sections, the density of the capillary network, and the velocity in various parts of the capillary bed.
RESULTS
The experimental group that received a PUFA supplement demonstrated optimization of the cardiovascular system (reduction in the proportion of people with arterial hypertension and high blood pressure, reduction in the total stress coefficient) compared to the controls. We also observed an increase in the values of the “myocardium” index and the characteristics of the “detail code” in the control group after the experiment, evidencing probable initial signs of myocardium dysfunction. This was not the case with the experimental group of subjects who maintained functional stability of the myocardium. A statistically significant increase in the number of sludges and an increase in the diameter of the venous section of the capillary bed in men in the control group indicated an increase in blood viscosity and the risk of developing microcirculatory congestion. On the contrary, the reduction in the size of the perivascular zone and increase in the density of the capillary bed we observed in the experimental group indirectly indicated an increase in the efficiency of metabolic processes between the blood and the intercellular space and a decrease in the risk of perivascular edema.
CONCLUSION
The studies revealed a pronounced positive effect of taking polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 family, containing 1200 mg of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, on the functioning of various parts of the cardiovascular system. This could be recommended to prevent cardiovascular diseases, especially in the critical season when the temperature curve crosses the zero level.
