Cardiovascular risk and haemorheology – Results from the Scottish Heart Health Study and the MONICA project, Glasgow

Issue title: The Fifth European Conference on Clinical Hemorheology. Part I

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Lowe, G.D.O.^a | Smith, W.C.S.^b | Tunstall-Pedoe, H.D.^b | Crombie, I.K.^b | Lennie, S.E.^a | Anderson, J.^a | Barbenel, J.C.^c

Affiliations: [a] University Department of Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, G31 2ER | [b] Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Dundee | [c] Bioengineering Unit, University of Strathclyde, Scotland, U.K.

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor E. Ernst

Abstract: Blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, haematocrit and fibrinogen were measured in 1260 men and women aged 25–64 years in the West of Scotland and related to cardiovascular ar risk factors. Blood viscosity and haematocrit were higher in men than women; there was no sex difference in plasma viscosity or fibrinogen. In both sexes, blood viscosity increased with smoking, age, blood pressure, body mass index and serum total cholesterol. In general, these correlations were stronger for blood viscosity than for haematocrit, plasma viscosity or fibrinogen. The data are consistent with a role for blood viscosity in cardiovascular disease, and will be related to prevalent and incident disease.

Keywords: blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, ischaemic heart disease

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1988-83-432

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 8, no. 3-4, pp. 517-524, 1988