The hair levels of unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic) indicators of the lipid metabolic balance.

The lipid metabolism was evaluated using a new method for assay of the hair contents in unsaturated fatty acids. Determinations in various hair segments and in the blood serum were performed before and after a hypolipemic diet and drug therapy in hypercholesterolemic patients in comparison with a control group. The correlation factors between the levels of the oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids in the serum and those in the hair were +0.967, +0.987 and +0.992, respectively. The method provides information on the therapy influence on the lipid metabolism variations within several weeks or months.