title: Impaired blood rheology: a risk factor after stroke?
abstract: The hypothesis that blood rheology is of prognostic value in stroke patients was tested in a prospective study. A total of 523 patients in the rehabilitation phase of stroke (outside the acute phase reaction after stroke) were tested for blood, serum and plasma viscosity, haematocrit, fibrinogen, red cell aggregation and deformability, ESR, white cell count, cholesterol and triglycerides. Endpoints were defined as a second stroke (lethal or not) within 2 years after the initial examination. Patients suffering such endpoints exhibit elevated blood viscosity, red cell aggregation, plasma and serum viscosity, fibrinogen and cholesterol levels, compared to patients without endpoints. It is concluded that rheological factors are associated with the prognosis after a first stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Resch
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; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012212:Rheology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol