Abnormalities of blood rheology in familial hypercholesterolaemia: effects of treatment.
Whole blood and plasma viscosity, red cell aggregability and deformability, and plasma fibrinogen have been compared between 20 patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), without clinical arterial disease, and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. Plasma fibrinogen was elevated in FH, associated with increased whole blood viscosity at low shear rate, plasma viscosity and red cell aggregation. At high shear rate blood viscosity was not elevated, and red cell deformability was normal. The effect of 12 weeks double blind treatment with cholestyramine 16-24 g/day, pravastatin 20 mg b.i.d. or placebo on blood rheology was studied in 17 FH patients. Mean plasma cholesterol fell significantly by 24.7% with pravastatin and 21.5% with cholestyramine, the latter also causing a significant 42% rise in triglyceride. Pravastatin, but not cholestyramine, caused a significant fall in plasma viscosity and fibrinogen, but no change was seen in whole blood rheology. This suggests that the rheological abnormalities in FH are at least partly related to the plasma lipid levels and hence reversible with treatment.
Jay
R H
RH
Department of Medicine, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, Rayne Institute, London, U.K.
Rampling
M W
MW
Betteridge
D J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006400:Hematocrit; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017035:Pravastatin; D012212:Rheology
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D009281:Naphthalenes; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D017035:Pravastatin