Cardiovascular Risk in Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition Participants

IntroductionThe primary objective of this study was to assess cardiovascular risk among members of the Bulgarian Antarctic expedition and identify strategies for risk reduction. The combination of intense physical and psychological stress, prolonged cold exposure, isolation, and challenging travel conditions contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, especially given the participants' mature age, which is a key factor in greater cardiovascular disease susceptibility.MethodsThis research included 29 participants (23 males and 6 females) with average ages of 43.0±8.00 y for the males and 45.5±11.31 y for the females. All participants spent 30 d in Antarctica. They were subjected to comprehensive assessments, including anthropometric measurements, physiologic evaluations, and biochemical analyses both before departure and shortly after return. The updated SCORE2 algorithm following the European guidelines was used to estimate the 10-y cardiovascular event risk, which factored in age, blood pressure, lipid profile, and smoking status. All participants underwent the veloergometer stress test under electrocardiographic control twice, before and after the expedition.ResultsThe results indicated that while most participants fell into the moderate-risk category, some of them exhibited elevated-risk profiles, primarily influenced by obesity, cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, and serum ferritin levels. No critical cardiovascular events were reported during the expedition.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of pre-expedition screening, including the conduct of an exercise stress test, targeted risk-factor management, and continuous monitoring for safeguarding the health and physiologic resilience of Antarctic expedition participants, ultimately underscoring the feasibility and necessity of cardiovascular prevention strategies in extreme environments.