title: Can rheologic variables be of prognostic relevance in arteriosclerotic diseases?
abstract: The hypothesis that blood rheology is of prognostic value in patients with arteriosclerotic diseases was tested in a prospective study of 843 patients at a rehabilitation clinic. They were tested for blood serum and plasma viscosity, hematocrit, fibrinogen, red cell aggregation and deformability, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white cell count, cholesterol, and triglycerides. End points were defined as a second stroke or myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death within two years of the initial examination. Patients suffering such end points as compared with matched pairs (n = 74; matching criteria: identical manifestation of arteriosclerosis, identical sex and similar age and risk factors) had significantly higher native blood viscosity (p = 0.002), red cell aggregation (p = 0.01), serum viscosity (p = 0.01), fibrinogen (p = 0.02), and cholesterol (p = 0.01). It is concluded that rheologic factors are associated with the prognosis in patients with arteriosclerotic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine, University of Munich, FRG.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matrai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buhl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Paulsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012212:Rheology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002784:Cholesterol