Influence of Climatic and Geographical Factors of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug on the Health of Its Population (Review)

Abstract

The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO), located in the north of the Tyumen Region, is part of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The severe climatic conditions impose a heavy strain on the human body, affect its functional systems and can lead to an early onset of health problems. Most researchers recognize the northern regions as an extreme habitat, where humans are exposed to a set of negative climatic factors, the proximity of the Arctic Ocean being of particular importance. All metabolic processes in the human body are closely linked with trace elements, and the elemental status of the population depends on the geochemical characteristics of the area of residence. It has been proven that the natural waters of the Tyumen Region are ultra-fresh with a low content of Ca and Mg, which may be a predictor of the development of many, primarily cardiovascular, diseases. Adaptive changes are manifested in “northern” metabolism – a new level of functioning of the bodyʼs key systems with hormonal and metabolic rearrangements – both in the indigenous population and in newcomers. What distinguishes the human body in the North is the formation of polar stress syndrome, which determines rapid restructuring of physiological parameters. This syndrome serves as the leading mechanism of the onset and development of diseases in the North. The negative effects of climatic and geographical factors on the human body act as a resolving factor that potentiates the clinical manifestations of pathological reactions. This is confirmed by the consistently higher rates of incidence and overall morbidity in the regions of the Far North, including YNAO, over many years compared with the figures for the Russian Federation. The basic component of polar stress syndrome is oxidative stress, which develops when the antioxidant stores are depleted during the bodyʼs adaptation to the extreme environmental conditions. It is oxidative stress that underlies the pathogenesis of more than 200 diseases, primarily cardiovascular, developing early and progressing rapidly.