Affiliations: 1st Department of Medicine, University of Pécs, Hungary | Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Pécs, Hungary
Note: [] Corresponding author: Lajos Bogar, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Pécs, Ifjusag ut 13, Pecs 7624, Hungary. Tel.: +36 72536442; Fax: +36 72536441; E-mail: lajos.bogar@aok.pte.hu.
Abstract: Increased blood viscosity has not been associated with mortality risk in coronary heart disease (CHD). We aimed to investigate the predictive power of hematocrit per blood viscosity (Hct/BV) ratio as a marker of rheological oxygen carrying capacity of the blood to assess mortality risk of CHD. Elective coronary angiography was performed and CHD was proved in 109 patients in 1996 and 1997. In 78 cases (72%) complete follow up information was obtained in February 2006. During the follow up time (mean 8.9 years) 10 patients died due to cardiac cause (group C). Two patients died due to non-cardiac cause and 66 were still alive at the end of the follow up period (group NC, n=68). Mean hematocrit per blood viscosity (Hct/BV) ratio was significantly lower in group C comparing to NC (87±5; 93±9 Pa−1s−1, SD, respectively, p=0.022). Other factors (body mass index, serum cholesterol, fibrinogen, hematocrit, plasma and blood viscosity, cardiac index, left ventricular ejection fraction) provided no statistical differences. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed only the impact of fibrinogen and Hct/BV ratio on cardiac mortality (p=0.029 and 0.009, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curves proved only Hct/BV ratio to be able to differentiate between groups (area under curve: 0.716, p=0.028). Hct/BV ratio showed significant negative correlation with the frequency of hospital admissions (r=−0.377, p=0.03). Low Hct/BV ratio can be regarded as a risk factor of cardiac death in CHD.
