[Magnetic storms as a stress factor]

The functional characteristics variations during the magnetic storms were observed in both the healthy humans and in patients with cardio-vascular diseases as well as in cosmonauts at SOYUZ spacecraft and MIR station. These characteristics revealed a nonspecific adaptive stress reaction, which should be accompanied by the variations in the stress-hormone production rate. The neurohumoral regulation of the organism functions during the geomagnetic storms in a group of patients with cardio-vascular pathology and in a control group of healthy individuals were studied. The magnetic storm effect characterised of both the sick and healthy examines was the violated ratio of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, namely increase of cortisone secretion (adrenal cortex hormone), as well as some tendency to the activation of sympathoadrenal system. Our investigations revealed also a suppressed production of melatonin (the pineal gland hormone) during the geomagnetic storm. These results are not in contradictions with the functional characteristics violation by the magnetic storms and correspond to the existence of adaptive stress reaction of the human organism to the geomagnetic field disturbances.