EN
It was examined whether the vanadium content in the organism estimated on the basis of its concentration in the hair of students of the Białystok Medical Academy was related to lipid metabolism evaluated using blood lipidograms. Total cholesterol, HDL and LDL-cholesterol fractions, and triglycerides were determined by the reflectrometric method, using a Reflotron apparatus, Roche. Vanadium concentration in the hair was measured by atomic absorption spectrophometry, with a Hitachi Z-5000 apparatus, following sample incineration and dissolution in a 1 M solution of spectrally pure HNO3. The results were verified basing on the reference material (hair). The mean vanadium content in the hair of women was 0.032 µg/g of hair, being higher than its concentration in the hair of men-0.019 µg/g of hair. The difference was statistically significant. Lipid concentration in the blood serum of the subjects examined showed no statistically significant differences according to gender. Lipid indices were, however, markedly higher in women.