[The biotropic weather conditions and changing the clocks as the extraneous risk factors of weather-dependent exacerbations of chronic diseases].

This paper reports the results of medico-meteorological investigations suggesting the influence of biotropic (unfavourabe) weather conditions characteristic of transient seasons in combination with the abolition of on the frequency of application for emergency medical aid. It was shown that the abolition of during the period from 2009 to 2013 resulted in a significant rise in the frequency of application for the emergency treatment of exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases. The sociological studies involving the responders of various social and age groups carried out parallel to the medical ones demonstrated that most of them (77%) considered the abolition of to be the main cause of the deteriorated of the sense of wellbeing and emphasized the necessity of winter time reversal.

[The effectiveness of comprehensive rehabilitation of the patients presenting with coronary heart disease with the application of underwater shower massage and electrical stimulation].

The underwater shower massage and electrical stimulation were applied to treat 120 patients presenting with coronary heart disease. The estimation of the effectiveness of this treatment with the use of functional diagnostic methods revealed its psychocorrective effect manifested in the form of reduced frequency and duration of painful and painless angina seizures, restricted sympathetic influences on the heart as well as normalized sympathovagal balance, lipid status, antioxidative system, central and peripheral hemodynamics, improved systolic and diastolic function of the myocardium, enhanced tolerability of mental, emotional, and physical workload. The study allowed the predictors of the effectiveness of therapeutic and health-promoting measures to be identified.

[Global tendencies in the development of medical spa].

The legal framework and the regulatory documents on which to base the development and activity of the medical spa in this country are practically absent which accounts for the necessity to analyse the global tendencies in this sphere. The authors review the literature data concerning the current trends in the development of health resort business and rehabilitative medicine and consider a new type of therapeutic and health-improving facilities known as "medical spa". The main aspects of the work of these centres with special reference to their therapeutic/preventive and organizational activities are discussed with due regard for the global experience and international practices in these fields.