Daily Fat Intake and Lipid Metabolism Parameters in the Blood of University Students in the First and Second Years of Study

New educational environment of the university and changes in social and living conditions are factors that strain the adaptation mechanisms of first-year students. Inadequate diet can decrease the body’s adaptive and compensatory capabilities and affect its basic functions. The purpose of this research was to study the dynamics of the actual fat content in the diet and key markers of lipid metabolism in the blood of university students in their first and second years of study living in a dormitory. Materials and methods. The same sample of healthy students of both sexes (n = 62) aged 18–21 years studying at Gorno-Altaisk State University were examined in 2020 and 2021. Diet information was obtained through a 7–10-day food diary. Blood concentrations of total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins as well as triglycerides were determined. Results. Daily fat intake of female students (n = 31) in their second year of study (compared with the first year) statistically significantly increased by 9.3 g. At the same time, the girls showed an increase in total cholesterol by 0.2 mmol/l and in triglycerides by 0.2 mmol/l. In the group of male students (n = 31), no statistically significant increase in dietary fats was observed in the second year. However, triglyceride concentrations in the blood plasma of male subjects increased by 0.1 mmol/l. High-density lipoprotein content increased in the second year in both sex groups: by 0.5 mmol/l in female and by 0.2 mmol/l in male respondents. Blood concentrations of low-density lipoproteins remained unchanged during the observed period in both male and female subjects.